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Science & Technology
NW Arkansas - 9 Leprosy And 100 TB Cases
2008-02-08
Posted by:Anonymoose

#15  The leprosarium in Louisiana was at Carville, LA. James Carville grew up there, and the town was named for his grandfather, its postmaster.
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2008-02-08 23:39  

#14  IIRC an armadillo was once elected Governor of Arkansas on a populist platform. Coincidence? I think not
Posted by: Frank G   2008-02-08 20:55  

#13  Deacon - apparently we once had leprosy in the mainland US, at least in Louisiana. (We had it in Hawaii, too, though I think the colony is closed now.)

I remember reading a book in my teens (late 1950's/early '60's) by a woman who was an inmate/patient at a (for lack of a better term) leper colony in southern Louisiana. I don't remember whether she said anything about how she contracted it, but it wasn't overseas - she definitely got it in the US.

Since the kid got if from armadillos in Louisiana, I wonder if it's indemic in nature there somehow? Doubt the armadillo came from Ark. Or maybe they have immigrants from the Marshall Islands there?

Dr. Steve - you around? Can you clue us in?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2008-02-08 19:21  

#12  Why on earth would someone wrestle an armadillo?
Posted by: trailing wife    2008-02-08 18:52  

#11  I know of one case in Louisiana about 20 years ago where a teenager who wrestled armadillos contracted leprosy. I can't give any facts other than it was in Reader's Digest as I have been drunk a few times since then and don't remember. I do remember he didn't eat armadillos, just wrestled them.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2008-02-08 18:43  

#10  Huck's the guy that opened up Arkansas, rented the Mexicans a consulate for $1, put up instate tuition for illegal,s and generally refused to enforceimmigration law.

So yeah, Arkansas is hosed.
Posted by: OldSpook   2008-02-08 17:02  

#9  "But whether they're immigrants or not, she says people must stick to treatment, when infected. And she says, when she treats those from the Marshall Islands, this doesn't happen.

If they're not actually born here, ship any and all back to the Marshalls as soon as they're diagnosed.

If they are born here, quarantine them until they're completely cured.

What the hell is wrong with the Health Dept. there?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2008-02-08 15:46  

#8  Also, Springdale is between Fayetteville, home of the Razorbacks and Bentonville, home of WalMart..... with a former board member named Hillary Clinton!
Posted by: Sherry   2008-02-08 15:37  

#7  ... and they are both from Hope, Arkansas!
Posted by: Sherry   2008-02-08 14:49  

#6  SteveS, have there been documented cases of infection from armadillo meat?
Posted by: john frum   2008-02-08 14:45  

#5  eLarson, so are the Clintons.
Posted by: Rambler   2008-02-08 14:11  

#4  That Huckabee's from Arkansas, ain't he? Just saying...
Posted by: eLarson   2008-02-08 14:09  

#3  "It's from the Marshall islands; that's why we're seeing it."

That and eating roadkill armadillo.
Posted by: SteveS   2008-02-08 13:59  

#2  Looks like a case of Celebrate Diversity...

Medical specialists say the Marshall Islands have the most cases of leprosy, in the world. And the city with the largest number of Marshallese people, outside the Marshall islands, is Springdale. And Bingham says, it makes sense, then, that leprosy is spreading to the city. "It's from the Marshall islands; that's why we're seeing it."

Bingham says she is all for Marshallese people entering the United States, after proper medical tests. But whether they're immigrants or not, she says people must stick to treatment, when infected. And she says, when she treats those from the Marshall Islands, this doesn't happen. "We're not getting the compliance that is absolutely essential to take care of this process."

Bingham says without cooperation, leprosy, which has no vaccine, and is transmitted through the air, will spread, and could easily become an epidemic. "People absolutely should be concerned. What I'm afraid of, is when people start thinking about it enough, it will already be out of control."
Posted by: tu3031   2008-02-08 13:02  

#1  I saw a leper in public many years ago. One glance and I Moonwalked out of there.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2008-02-08 12:40  

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