How do I get leprosy (Tamil)
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Leprosy is not a curse from God or is caused by evil spirits. It is not true, that people are affected with leprosy because they have committed sins in their past or are bad persons.
You can only get leprosy from a person affected by leprosy who is not being treated.
But a few days after the person has started the treatment, she or he can’t transmit it to you anymore. There is no reason to treat a person affected by leprosy differently. Also, it is not a problem, for example, to eat together or hug each other and to take care of your family, friends, and community members when a person is affected by leprosy and is being treated.
The way leprosy is transmitted is not yet been completely clarified. It is probably transmitted either by sneezing or coughing. But to be affected by leprosy, it is necessary to be in close and frequent contact over a longer period of time with an affected person who is not getting treatment. The disease is not transmitted if you have only touched each other once.
Also, most people who come into contact with the germs of leprosy have the natural ability to resist the disease. Either they do not get it at all, or they get a small unnoticed disease that soon disappears completely.
When a person comes into contact with the germs of leprosy for the first time, it often takes several months or many years until the first signs of the disease appear.
Leprosy is much more common in some parts of the world than in others. It is more common in places where people live in cramped conditions with no ventilation, no access to clean water, sanitation, and good hygiene. It often occurs in people who often suffer from hunger or who do not get enough food needed by their bodies to be healthy. But people living under better conditions can also get it. It is not hereditary, and children of mothers with leprosy are not born with leprosy. However, children who live in close contact with someone affected by leprosy and is not getting treatment are more likely to develop leprosy.