Leprosy is a chronic and infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium Leprae, also known as Hansen’s bacillus. One of the 20 neglected tropical diseases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, leprosy is the subject of Reporting Paths. The program will air this Sunday (8), at 10 pm, on TV Brazil.
The infectious disease doctor and researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) Julio Croda explains that neglected diseases affect the poorest part of the population and are usually found in the southern hemisphere of the planet, where poverty is an important determinant for these diseases. For them, there is little treatment available and little interest from the pharmaceutical industry.
According to infectious disease specialist Giovana Volpato Pazin Feuser, the main characteristics of leprosy are the appearance of skin lesions, usually reddened, and change in sensitivity. The first sensitivity that people usually lose is the thermal, that is, they stop feeling heat and cold in the place, and finally the tactile sensitivity. Thus, the disease affects the skin and peripheral nerves, which can cause disabilities and physical deformities.
One of the difficulties faced by people living with leprosy is precisely prejudice and stigma. Transmission occurs only from a sick person, without treatment, to another, after close and prolonged contact. The disease is curable, and treatment is provided by the Unified Health System (SUS).
For many years, people with leprosy were isolated from society and taken to live in colonies. Created in the 40s, the Antônio Aleixo colony received patients from various parts of the state of Amazonas. The site was home to 2,000 infected people. Over time, the colony was transformed into a neighborhood, where the patients’ relatives also began to live.
The retired Teresinha Maia da Silva arrived at the colony when she was still a teenager. It’s been 50 years living there. She reached out to her family, but found no support. On the contrary, she says that she was received with prejudice. “I looked for my family, but I didn’t get along because of the prejudice. My own brother, I sat on the bench, then he let me sit, we talked, when he finished he threw alcohol and even cleaned the bench. It was a horrible prejudice,” she recalls.
In some types of leprosy, there is no appearance of spots on the body. The disease can directly attack the nerves. That’s what happened to retired military Fábio Correia, who began to show the first symptoms five years ago. He was losing strength in his legs and was in a lot of pain. He received the correct diagnosis in Cuiabá and is being followed up at the Júlio Müller University Hospital, a SUS reference center linked to the Federal University of Mato Grosso. The family is their greatest source of strength in treating and dealing with prejudice. “The most important medication in the treatment is the family. And there’s a cure. I’m winning, everyone will also win with the follow-up I’m having”, said Fábio.
the team of Reporting Paths was in Mato Grosso and Amazonas and will tell stories of those who live with the disease and face prejudice. It will also talk about the challenges for better care for these people and the new complementary tests for the diagnosis of leprosy, which are being provided by the Ministry of Health.
