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Ralph2010
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Health
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332 days ago
Dilluzionz's Answer
Wild armadillos have been known to be infected with the bacterium that causes leprosy (Hansen’s disease). The only cases of transmission from armadillos to humans have occurred in rare incidents in which people ate undercooked armadillo meat. If you have a pet (such as a dog, cat, or two-year old) that has recently interacted with an armadillo, you needn't worry about the danger of your pet becoming infected. So long as your dog, cat, or two-year old hasn't been dining on armadillo sushi, you have little cause for concern. Even if your pet does bite an armadillo, the risk of infection is quite low. Your pet is much more likely to be in danger of illness do to encounters with raccoons (prone to rabies), other dogs, cats or children than a (mostly) harmless armadillo.
The nine-banded armadillo has become an important animal in the research of Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy, which effects 4,000 individuals in the United States (15 million worldwide). Armadillos do not develop human type leprosy; the disease among the nine-banded armadillo is usually severe and fatal (Storrs, 1982). The time between infection and development of symptoms in nine-banded armadillos is between six months to four years, as opposed to three to six years in humans (Storrs, 1982). For reasons unknown, the nine-banded armadillo is known to carry the disease. It is thought that leprosy attacks the armadillo because of its low body temperature of 92-95 degrees Fahrenheit (28-33 degrees Celsius), which in turn affects the brain, spinal cord and lungs – which is not affected in humans (Storrs, 1982).
The concern of being infected from armadillos to humans did not arise until the mid-1980’s (Wilson, 1997). At first it was thought that nine-banded armadillos weren’t able to procure leprosy due to their location. Eventually, people in Texas and in Louisiana were infected with the disease, which was later discovered that it was due to the extensive handling of nine-banded armadillos – racing armadillos, extracting meat, and making souvenirs from their shells (Wilson, 1997). Today, the nine-banded armadillo has become an important animal in the study of Hansen’s disease.
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