As the muscles lose control and nutrition from the nerves, they become smaller in size and paralyzed. The fingers and toes appear like a claw. Loss of sensation results in unusual injuries and ulcers. Eyes are affected in a few patients with prolonged disease. Even these patients, after two weeks of drug therapy cease to spread the disease.
Most people are naturally resistant to the leprosy bacteria and hence remain healthy.
Epidemiology Some facts Leprosy can effect all ages and both sexes. The disease has a very long period of incubation of Latency running into several years. Most often the incubation period is between 3 to 5 years. Leprosy is an infectious disease directly transmitted from man to man. However, it is acquired through prolonged exposure and only a small proportion of the population is effected.