This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6956779.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| NI man is diagnosed with leprosy | NI man is diagnosed with leprosy |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A man from County Armagh has been diagnosed with leprosy, the BBC has learned. | A man from County Armagh has been diagnosed with leprosy, the BBC has learned. |
| The man, who wants to remain anonymous, is believed to have picked up the disease when he lived in Indonesia. | The man, who wants to remain anonymous, is believed to have picked up the disease when he lived in Indonesia. |
| He said that when he became ill, his ears, lips and nose swole up, he developed a rash and lost sensation in his arms and legs. | He said that when he became ill, his ears, lips and nose swole up, he developed a rash and lost sensation in his arms and legs. |
| The man, who is receiving treatment for the condition at a London clinic, said he is now cured of the disease. | The man, who is receiving treatment for the condition at a London clinic, said he is now cured of the disease. |
| He is hoping to be discharged from the clinic, where he has received treatment for several months, shortly. | He is hoping to be discharged from the clinic, where he has received treatment for several months, shortly. |
| He said he had become a minor medical celebrity during his time there. | |
| "Every time I went to London for treatment, there'd be a doctor there from Amsterdam or France or wherever wanting to have a look at me," he said. | |
| "I still get tired if I exert myself but, apart from that, I'm back to normal." | |
| Deformity | |
| If left untreated, leprosy can cause deformity and disability but, despite its reputation, it is not highly contagious - only one in 10 people with it are infectious, even if they receive no treatment. | |
| To catch the infection, requires prolonged, close contact. | |
| Once infection has occurred, the disease can incubate for a very long time before symptoms appear. | |
| Often incubation lasts five years, but it can take as long as 20. | |
| In the early 90s, a World Health Organisation attempt to eradicate leprosy worldwide by the year 2000 failed. | |
| It is still endemic in India, parts of Africa and in many South American countries. |