Leprosy

For the malady found in the Hebrew Bible, see the article Tzaraath. For the album by the band Death, see Leprosy (album). Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium leprae which causes disfiguration of the body or skin. The bacterium is an aerobic, acid fast, rod-shaped (bacillus) mycobacterium. The modern term for the disease is named after the discoverer of the bacterium, Gerhard Armauer Hansen. Treatment Historical ...