Leprosy in Italy remains rare, experts say
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Angela Corpolongo, an infectious disease specialist at the Spallanzani Institute in Rome, Italy, reassured the public that leprosy is a rare and controlled infectious disease in Italy.
Recent media reports about a possible return of leprosy in Rome prompted Corpolongo to clarify the situation. Italy currently records an average of only seven leprosy cases each year, indicating no health emergency. The Spallanzani Institute emphasized that Italy has not recorded a case of locally contracted leprosy since 2003.
Current cases involve imported infections or people receiving ongoing care for chronic effects of the disease, meaning they cannot spread the infection. The bacterium that causes leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae, spreads with very low efficiency, requiring close and prolonged contact with an untreated person to cause infection. The disease primarily affects the skin, eyes, respiratory system, and peripheral nerves, leading to a loss of pain sensation. Despite its rarity, Italy’s national health system maintains specialized centers to treat patients.
The Spallanzani Institute has served as a regional reference center for rare infectious diseases since 2005, providing diagnostic and therapeutic expertise. Effective antibiotic treatment lasting six to twelve months cures the disease, and patients become non-infectious after the first dose. Globally, leprosy cases have decreased by around 5.5 percent, with high-incidence areas concentrated in countries like Brazil, India, and Indonesia.
