Florida’s Leprosy Cases Are Rising. What Travelers Should Know About a Disease That Can Stay Hidden for Years

Leprosy is rare in the United States, but federal health officials have been tracking a gradual rise in reported cases over the past several years. Florida is now drawing unusual attention after researchers identified it as a state with a growing share of infections and evidence of locally acquired disease. For travelers, the risk remains low, but the long incubation period means symptoms can appear years after exposure.

Florida is now a major focus in U.S. leprosy reporting

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in July 2023 that leprosy, also called Hansen’s disease, has become more common in the southeastern United States. In its case report, the CDC said Florida accounted for 81 percent of domestically acquired cases in 2020 and nearly one-fifth of all U.S. cases reported nationally.

The CDC described a 54-year-old Central Florida resident who was diagnosed with leprosy after developing a progressive rash and numbness. The agency said the patient had no recent travel, no contact with armadillos, and no known exposure to another person with leprosy, which made the case notable for possible local transmission.

That July 31, 2023 report did not say that leprosy is spreading rapidly among tourists or the general public. It did confirm, however, that Florida has become an important area for tracking the disease because some patients do not fit the traditional exposure patterns long linked to Hansen’s disease in the U.S.

What is confirmed in Florida, and what is still unclear

What is confirmed is that Florida has seen a higher concentration of cases than most other states in recent years, based on the CDC’s 2020 data. The agency said Central Florida appeared to represent an endemic area, meaning ongoing local transmission may be occurring there.

What remains unclear is exactly how many current Florida cases are tied to local exposure versus travel or other sources. Statewide totals can vary by year, and public reporting does not always include a full county-by-county breakdown for every case.

For travelers, that matters because leprosy is not known to spread easily through casual contact. The CDC has long said transmission is believed to happen through prolonged, close contact with untreated infection, and not from brief interactions in airports, hotels, or theme parks.

Why the disease can stay hidden for years and what travelers should know

One reason leprosy draws attention is its long incubation period. According to the CDC, symptoms can take several years to appear, and in some cases may not show up for as long as 20 years after infection.

The disease is caused by Mycobacterium leprae, and the CDC said common signs can include lighter or reddish skin patches, numbness, and nerve involvement. Because those symptoms can develop slowly, diagnosis may be delayed, especially in patients without a clear travel or exposure history.

For residents and visitors in Florida, the practical takeaway is straightforward. The disease remains uncommon, it is treatable with multidrug therapy, and the CDC’s July 2023 report said clinicians should consider leprosy even when a patient has no traditional risk factors or recent travel history in endemic areas.