Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae infecting susceptible individuals. It mainly affects the skin and peripheral nerves of the human body, and in the late stages can cause disability and disfigurement, resulting in a distorted mouth and rabbit’s eyes, a collapsed nose and sunken eyes, and even broken arms and legs and a lion’s face.
Although the disease is somewhat contagious, the majority of adults are highly resistant to infection by Mycobacterium leprae and generally do not become infected easily.