Florida Reports 36 Leprosy Cases in 2025 as 27 Were Likely Acquired Locally
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 31
Florida Reports 36 Leprosy Cases in 2025 as 27 Were Likely Acquired Locally
3 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Jul 31
Summary
Florida logged 36 confirmed leprosy cases in 2025, and 27 were likely contracted within the state, reinforcing concerns that Hansen’s disease is now endemic there.
State data also show 17 cases so far in 2026, many centered in Central Florida, where health officials and researchers have traced at least some infections to local nine-banded armadillos.
Leprosy still spreads mainly through prolonged close contact with infected people, but armadillos can naturally carry Mycobacterium leprae and may seed additional exposure through contaminated soil.
The disease remains rare and hard to catch—about 200 U.S. cases are reported annually, 95% of people are naturally resistant, and CDC says armadillo transmission risk appears very low.
Even so, several Florida cases have no clear source, raising the possibility of broader environmental transmission and keeping the state under watch for future spread.