Hansen's Disease

I spent some time yesterday at the Hansen's Disease Museum which is just down the road from us. It is the only leprosarium on the continental U.S. There are still 20 some people living there. The ages range from the 50s to the 90s. It was established in 1894. Apparently people were taken from their homes and moved to this leper home if they had contracted the disease. Their rights were taken from them, including the right to vote, and they were forced to live here. If babies were born here, they were taken from the mother and adopted out. The youngest child placed here was around 8 years old. It was a fascinating history of the disease. I didn't even know we had leprosy here in the US. The tour guide told us that the disease can occur anywhere in the world, it is not a tropical disease. Worldwide we had 500,000 cases last year. She said here in the US we had 22 new cases last year, but it is treatable if it treatment is started early. The disease is bacterial, thought to be transmitted by respiratory infection, and 95% of the population is immune to getting it. There was a cemetery on the grounds and I am attaching some pictures we took last night at the cemetery. Take care, Sandy