Leprosy ready for re-emergence ?

Leprosy is one of the great pandemics whose symptomatology has fuelled its mythical and diabolical character. Mycobacterium leprae, discovered by Hansen in the 19th^century , develops mainly in peripheral nervous tissue, producing characteristic deforming lesions. Thanks to an international effort coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), appropriate multi-drug therapy has enabled the disease to be controlled and, in many parts of the world, eradicated. However, some outbreaks persist in South America and Asia, fuelled by the emergence of antibiotic resistance. The occurrence of sporadic cases in the southern United States and Mexico has led to the identification of the armadillo (nine-striped armadillo) as a reservoir animal for M. leprea (hunting and consumption). It would appear, however, that the armadillo is not the primary animal reservoir, but has been contaminated by humans. The primary reservoir therefore remains unknown. Could leprosy nevertheless re-emerge from previously undetected animal reservoirs? Recent studies have shown that a significant percentage of the red squirrel population in certain British Isles is a healthy or diseased carrier of two species responsible for leprosy in humans: M. leprae and M. lepromatosis. Is leprosy ready to re-emerge?