Large-scale DNA study maps 37,000 years of disease history
On Jul. 9, 2025, a research team led by Eske Willerslev, professor at the University of Copenhagen and…
A rare form of leprosy existed in the Americas for thousands of years
On Jun. 30, 2025, a new study from an international team of researchers led by the Max Planck…
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WHO verified Jordan as first country to eliminate leprosy
On Sept. 19, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Jordan had become the first country in…
World Leprosy Day was established
On Jan. 26, 1953, World Leprosy Day was established by Raoul Follereau a French writer and journalist. This…
Phages, or bacterial viruses,were discovered
In 1914, Phages, or bacterial viruses, were discovered by Frederick Twort. He researched Johne’s disease, a chronic intestinal…
Gerhard Hansen observed the bacillus which causes leprosy or Hansen’s disease under a microscope
In 1873, Gerhard-Henrik Armauer Hansen published his report that claimed leprosy to be an infectious disease with a…
The Third Lateran Council decreed with Canon 23 separate living arrangements for lepers
In 1179, the Third Lateran Council decreed with Canon 23 living arrangements for lepers and how their necessary…
The first hospitals were established in England
From 1050-1350 marked a particularly active phase of the disease that made necessary the introduction of large-scale specialist…