Noun
A cutaneous disease which first appears as blebs or as reddish, shining, slightly prominent spots, with spreading edges. These are often followed by an eruption of dark or yellowish prominent nodules, frequently producing great deformity. In one variety of the disease, anaesthesia of the skin is a prominent symptom. In addition there may be wasting of the muscles, falling out of the hair and nails, and distortion of the hands and feet with destruction of the bones and joints. It is incurable, and is probably contagious.
Source: Webster's dictionaryEven in 1979, this movie faced a lot of controversy for its flippant depiction of the beginnings of Christianity, and the jokes about gruesome practices, like crucifixion, or diseases, like leprosy, are still a lot to stomach. Source: Internet
As of 2013, 14 countries contain 95% of the globally reported leprosy cases. citation Of these, India has the greatest number of cases (59%), followed by Brazil (14%) and Indonesia (8%). Source: Internet
Classification Several different approaches for classifying leprosy exist, but parallels exist. Source: Internet
Colonial and religious influence and associated stigma continued to be a major factor in the treatment and public perception of leprosy in endemic developing countries until the mid-twentieth century. Source: Internet
Contacts of people with leprosy are 5 to 8 times more likely to develop leprosy than members of the general population. citation Other risk factors are poorly understood. Source: Internet
Contrary to folklore, leprosy does not cause body parts to fall off, although they can become numb or diseased as a result of secondary infections; these occur as a result of the body's defenses being compromised by the primary disease. Source: Internet