The state of leprosy: increasing trends of Hansen’s disease in Florida, USA, 1996–2025

Leprosy, also known as Hansen´s disease (HD), is a chronic infectious disease which mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes. According to the National Hansen’s Disease Program (NHDP), there were 225 new cases of leprosy reported in the United States of America (USA) in 2023, with Florida ranking as one of the top reporting states. Using publicly available data, we analysed the overall trend of leprosy in Florida from 1996-2025. A total of 359 confirmed cases of leprosy was reported in the state during the study period. The annual incidence rate increased from 0.01 per 100,000 population to 0.15 per 100,000 population, showing a fifteen-fold increase over the 30-year study period. With a total of 113 cases reported for the study duration, Brevard County was observed to be a hotspot for confirmed leprosy cases and locally acquired infections represented the largest category of cases with known acquisition mode.