Armadillos likely behind Florida’s surge in leprosy cases. Here’s what you need to know

Key Points:

• Florida reported 36 confirmed cases of Hansen’s disease (leprosy) in 2025, with 27 acquired locally, and 17 provisional cases through mid-July 2026, indicating a continuing presence of the disease in the state.
• The increase in cases has been concentrated in Central Florida, particularly Brevard County, which accounted for 40 of 74 confirmed cases from 2019 to 2022, with other counties along the Interstate 4 corridor also affected.
• Research links the transmission of Hansen’s disease in Florida to zoonotic sources, notably the nine-banded armadillo, which carries the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, with some patients showing strains genetically similar to those found in armadillos.
• Health officials stress that leprosy remains rare, primarily spreads through prolonged close contact with untreated individuals, and that about 95% of people are naturally resistant; zoonotic transmission is recognized but uncommon.
• Leprosy is curable with standard multidrug therapy, which prevents disability and stops infectiousness shortly after treatment begins; public health advice includes avoiding contact with armadillos and raising clinician awareness to reduce misdiagnosis and delayed treatment.