As the New York Times reports, leprosy is a “wimp of a pathogen." Your chances of getting leprosy are really, really low. Scientists think their low body temperature provides a good environment for Mycobacterium leprae, the leprosy bacteria; in humans, too, M. leprae prefers cooler areas, such as nostrils, fingers, and toes. 7 Answers. A genetic study published today in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that U.S. armadillos and human patients share what seems to be a unique strain of the bacterium that causes leprosy. I've heard that armadillos are carriers of leprosy, but I don't know about eating them. Likely a combination of body temperature and the fragile nature of the disease. Because the armadillos are unique animals it is hard for someone who is not qualified to get rid of them. You cannot get leprosy from a casual contact with a person who has Hansen’s disease like: Shaking hands or hugging; Sitting next to each other on the bus; Sitting together at a meal ; Hansen’s disease is also not passed on from a mother to her unborn baby during pregnancy and it is also not spread through sexual contact. But in Central America and parts of the U.S. South and Southwest, armadillos are common, showing up in backyards, under porches, and by the side of the road. Twenty-eight of the animals and 25 of the patients had the new strain. And, most people in the U.S. who come down with the chronic bacterial disease get it from other people while traveling outside the country. It’s so fragile that it dies quickly outside of the body and is notoriously difficult to grow in lab conditions. And, most people in the U.S. who develop leprosy contract it from other people while traveling outside the country. 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Yes, people do eat armadillos, I've heard of it several times. Click to see full answer Similarly, it is asked, can you get leprosy from an armadillo? Now, they have evidence. ANSWER: Yes, You Can Get Leprosy From an Armadillo. Only the nine-banded armadillo is known to carry the disease. The others harbored previously reported strains that the researchers speculate may circulate at a low level in the United States. California Do Not Sell My Info "It's always been a curiosity," says Richard Truman, a microbiologist at the National Hansen's Disease Program which is housed at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Armadillos are the only other animals besides humans to host the leprosy bacillus. And as for armadillos—the risk of transmission to humans is low. Get the best of Smithsonian magazine by email. And, of course, they advise not to go hunting, skinning or eating them (which is a rule the armadillos would probably appreciate, too). Now, they have evidence. 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