Leprosy, a deadly disease from the middle ages has re-emerged threatening a number of homeless people in Los Angeles. According to the CDC, between 100 and 200 new cases of leprosy are annually reported in the U.S., Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor of medicine and medical director at Doctor Radio at NYU Langone Health, wrote in The Hill.
Dr. Siegel added a USC study discovered that most of the 187 patients with leprosy who were treated at its clinic between 1973 to 2018 came from Mexico where the disease is widespread.
He also noted that leprosy remains more prevalent in Central and South America with over 20,000 new cases diagnosed annually.
“Given that, there is certainly the possibility of sporadic cases of leprosy continuing to be brought across our southern border undetected,” Dr. Siegel said.