Molecular Origin of Endemic Leprosy in New York City

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 899 - 901
• Main Authors: Keo, Thormika, Martiniuk, Frank, Latkowski, JoAnn, Cabrera, Aloys, Rom, William, Levis, William R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 15.03.2008; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Bacteria; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsies; Brief Reports; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; DNA, Bacterial - isolation & purification; Dosage; Endemic Diseases; Genomics; Genotype & phenotype; Genotypes; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Leprosy; Leprosy - epidemiology; Leprosy - microbiology; Lesions; Male; Medical sciences; Mycobacterium leprae; Mycobacterium leprae - classification; Mycobacterium leprae - genetics; Mycobacterium leprae - isolation & purification; New York City - epidemiology; Physicians; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide - genetics; Skin; Skin - microbiology; Tropical bacterial diseases; Tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial infections; New York; United States; North America; America; New York City; New York City New York; Infection; Bacteriosis; Leprosy; Skin disease; Mycobacterial infection
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1086/528857

We report an indigenous case of leprosy in New York City in an immunocompetent patient who was infected with a Mycobacterium leprae genotype that is consistent with an exogenous origin. Physicians in the eastern United States should be alerted that, although most patients who develop leprosy in the United States are foreign born, native-born Americans are also susceptible to the infection.