Leprosy cases in Florida rise to 22. Three new cases of leprosy have further increased the total number of cases in Florida, keeping the state among the top hotspots for the disease in the country. The Florida Department of Health confirmed an additional case in Orange County and the first cases reported this year in Pasco and Polk counties in its latest data released on September 3.
Florida has become a hotspot for Hansen’s disease in recent years, along with other warm-weather states such as Louisiana and Texas. Ohio had reported two cases as of September 3. Researchers have not definitively identified the source of the infection. However, several studies have pointed to the nine-banded armadillo, a common species throughout the state.
