Human-armadillo interaction in Ceará, Brazil: Potential for transmission of Mycobacterium leprae.
Several factors suggest that armadillos present an important risk for human leprosy infection. This study uses semi-structured interviews to better illustrate how human interaction with armadillos may increase the risk of leprosy transmission. The participants were all residents of the state of Ceará, in northeastern Brazil, all acknowledged contact with armadillos either through hunting, through cooking, or through consumption of its meat. This study raises important issues about contact between human beings and armadillos. The interviews provide evidence of numerous situations in which leprosy transmission via the armadillo is possible. At a minimum, people who hunt armadillos need to be made aware of the risk of infection.
['Kerr|Ligia|L|', 'Kendall|Carl|C|', 'Sousa|Cesar Augusto Barros de|CAB|', 'Frota|Cristiane Cunha|CC|', 'Graham|Jove|J|', 'Rodrigues|Laura|L|', 'Fernandes|Rafael Lima|RL|', 'Barreto|Maurício Lima|ML|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000818:Animals D001135:Armadillos D001938:Brazil D004197:Disease Reservoirs D005260:Female D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions D006801:Humans D007918:Leprosy D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D009166:Mycobacterium leprae D018570:Risk Assessment
Transmission Armadillo Leprosy Infection