Armadillos have never been among the cuddly creatures normally included in petting zoos, but on Wednesday federal researchers offered a compelling reason to stay away from specially armed animal. They are a source of leprosy infections in humans. Researchers with the help of a genetic sequencing machine confirmed that somewhere around a third of the leprosy cases that arise annually in the United States come from when people come in contact with infected armadillos. Most of the cases are around the area of Louisiana and Texas, where they are hunted, skinned and eaten. Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is an ancient scourge that has largely disappeared. Each year about 150 to 250 people in the US and 250000 in the world contract this illness. It can be treated with antibiotics a one-to two-year regimen with three different drugs- offers an effective cure if caught early enough.
I think that this is something that needs to be addressed because if it is not then later on down the road there could an mass out break and other animals could get infected and the disease may become immune to the drugs that are used to treat this disease.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/health/28leprosy.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
I'm shocked by this, and I'm almost not sure whether to believe this or not. I'm confused on whether or not the armadillos had the disease and passed it on, or if it's something about them in general that causes the disease to spread. I think armadillos are very interesting creatures and it's sad that people should be so worried about being around them because of these reasons. However, if someone is eating an armadillo, that's not as sad that they would have to stop hunting these animals. Whether I believe this article or not, I do believe it's a good idea to stay away from wild animals if there is ever a sign of danger, which in this case, there seems to be.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brie in saying that this article is crazy and kind of hard to believe. I think that because of this find that people should do their best to stay away from this animal. If people would stop killing and eating the animal then it would cut down on the number of people who contract this disease. I believe that dangerous things like this should be avoided at all costs even if it means giving up a few dinners.
ReplyDeleteThis needs to be adressed soon! armadillos are all over the US. This could lead to an outbreak of leprosy in the future. This story is crazy though and i think perhaps could use some more scientific proof to back it up. Its very interesting though
ReplyDeleteYou're very right about needing to find a solid cure quickly so that the disease does not become ammune to the drugs we are using. I thought this was very intersting because an armadillo really does not seem or look like the disease carrying type of animal. The problem needs to be adressed and handled quickly so that people are aware. However, if this is true then the problem should be somewhat easy to handle.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but think that this sounds weird. To think some animal that we rarely see or even think of can be such a problem. I agree that this needs to be taken care of quickly so people aren't harmed and the situation doesn't get worse. Even though I almost find this hard to believe, if it is true, something should be done.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of this before but this article really emphasizes the severity of this problem. I truly didn't even believe that leprosy was still an issue in the world until a few months ago when I saw a "fun fact" about this. I think it needs to be further studied to find a cure or a way to prevent another animal-related illness outbreak.
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