What Did The Leper Say To The Candidate?

"Welcome to Arkansas." There is a severe outbreak of leprosy spreading in Arkansas. Yes, you read that right. Leprosy.

SPRINGDALE - The medical community is warning the public: a leprosy outbreak in Springdale could blossom into an epidemic, if something isn't done soon.

Doctors say at least nine cases of leprosy have been confirmed in Springdale.  Local doctors say they would be shocked by even one case of leprosy in their entire career, so they say something must be done soon, in order to stop leprosy's spread.

Springdale MD Jennifer Bingham says, "my initial response was: I am shocked. I am shocked we are seeing this. It's a true reason to be very worried."

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."

This is not - at all - a good thing. This requires a public health clampdown - right now - if people are not following through on treatment.  Even though leprosy is treatable, the course of treatment must be followed exactly and can take up to two years to complete. Here's the Wikipedia entry on leprosy. Here's the CDC page on Hansen's Disease .

UPDATE: This is interesting. The story has completely disappeared. Spree smells a rat.

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  By Spree, Saturday, 9 February , 2008 @ 11:07 am

  It could just be horrible journalistic practice, disappearing a whole story with no explanation.

  I have sent emails, called and not a peep in response though.

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