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EVANSVILLE – Armadillos are spreading into Indiana.The disease they bring with them, though, could take a long time to get here. The squat, sharp-clawed mammals are confirmed carriers of ...
Armadillos can carry rabies (though rarely) and the bacteriumMycobacterium leprae which causes leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease. “There are a handful of cases annually of people in the ...
What diseases do they carry? Yes. Nine-banded armadillos can carry leprosy, which can be transmitted to people, according to the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife.
(The leprosy bacterium is difficult to culture and armadillos have a body temperature of 34 °C (93 °F), similar to human skin.) [26] Humans can acquire a leprosy infection from armadillos by handling them or consuming armadillo meat. [27] [28] Armadillos are a presumed vector and natural reservoir for the disease in Texas, Louisiana and Florida.
Mycobacterium leprae has a narrow host range and apart from humans the only other hosts are nine-banded armadillos and red squirrels, [5] and armadillos have been implicated as a source of zoonotic leprosy in humans. [13] In the laboratory, mice can be infected and this is a useful animal model. [14]
Sandfly species transmit the disease leishmaniasis, by acting as vectors for protozoan Leishmania species, and tsetse flies transmit protozoan trypansomes (Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and Trypansoma brucei rhodesiense) which cause African Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). Ticks and lice form another large group of invertebrate vectors.
A genetic study at the National Hansen’s Disease Program reported armadillos may be a source of infection. In the southern United States, some armadillos are naturally infected with the bacteria ...
Nine-banded armadillos generally weigh from 2.5–6.5 kg (5.5–14.3 lb), though the largest specimens can scale up to 10 kg (22 lb). They are one of the largest species of armadillos. [8] Head and body length is 38–58 cm (15–23 in), which combines with the 26–53 cm (10–21 in) tail, for a total length of 64–107 cm (25–42 in).