Roadside runner may be why leprosy cases are rising in Central Florida - Florida Today

What the report says

Florida Today reported that Florida has recorded 17 cases of Hansen’s disease, commonly known as leprosy, as of July 11, 2026, with Central Florida again standing out in state health data. The report said Brevard, Lake, St. Johns and Volusia counties made up 52% of Florida’s cases last year, a share larger than their portion of the state population, and that a similar pattern is appearing this year. Those counties sit roughly around the Interstate 4 corridor.

The article links the geographic pattern to the nine-banded armadillo, which is known to carry Mycobacterium leprae, the bacterium that causes Hansen’s disease. Florida Today noted that scientists see the overlap between case locations and the armadillo’s range as meaningful, while also emphasizing that infections remain uncommon. State data cited in the report lists 2026 cases across several counties, including two each in Charlotte, Miami-Dade and Volusia, and one in counties including Brevard, Lake, Orange, Seminole and St. Johns.

The report said Florida logged 36 cases in 2025, up from 20 in 2024, and that the state has reported 214 cases over the past decade after far lower annual averages in earlier years. It also cited federal health information that Hansen’s disease can be cured with antibiotics, but delayed diagnosis can allow lasting nerve damage and other complications.

Florida Today’s public health takeaway was caution rather than alarm. The disease does not spread through casual contact, most people are not susceptible, and treated patients can continue normal activities. The article said possible exposure routes include prolonged contact with untreated patients, armadillos or contaminated soil, and it noted advice to wear gloves while gardening.