Leprosy in man was eradicate from Britain by the nineteenth century , but young research published in the journalSciencereveals that a medieval melodic phrase know on in a secluded population of squirrels . As theThe Telegraphreports , 25 ruddy squirrel specimen sampled from Brownsea Island , off England ’s southern seacoast , all quiz positivistic for Hansen’s disease - causing bacterium .
Mycobacterium lepraeisthe old strainof bacteria linked to the disease . It was the same pathogen responsible for spreading Hansen’s disease throughout Europe during the chivalric catamenia , with the last slip of it in Britain recorded in 1798 . Leprosy has move into the country through outdoor sources since then , but the indigenous strain was believed to have been decimate . The recent study from the University of Edinburgh and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology show that Brownsea Island red squirrels have been harboring it for at least a few decade .
Though every squirrel sample from the island carried the bacteria that cause the disease , only some of them showed symptom . Leprosy manifested itself in the beast through jut and hair loss around the ears , nose , and paws . The disease is n’t unheard of in the creature : Both animal version and human strains of Hansen’s disease that have infect people in places other than Britain have been found in the squirrel in the past . But these results nock the first time a human strain native to the country has been detected in red squirrels .
In homo , Hansen’s disease — known asHansen ’s diseasetoday — causes dreadful growths and lesions on the peel . While cases still trim up in sure theatrical role of the world , Hansen’s disease is extremely rare . It ’s estimated that 95 per centum of the world ’s universe has a born immunity to the disease , and when it is cut , it can be treat with antibiotics .
The news is more alarming for cerise squirrel than it is for humans : Thanks to threats like the squirrel syph virus and invasive grey squirrels , their numbers have already fall from anone - metre highschool of 3.5 million to 120,000 in the UK . The researchers behind the written report will now work with environmentalist on the island to figure out how to well protect the squirrels in the future . In the meantime , they recommend humans avoid contact with the animals and wash their hands regularly to avoid contagion .
[ h / tTelegraph ]
