O que é hanseníase e por que ela era tão estigmatizada?

Have you heard of Hansen's disease? Formerly called leprosy, it is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, or Hansen's bacillus, in memory of its discoverer. The disease can present four main clinical forms and causes skin spots, temperature changes in the affected area, peripheral nerve damage, numbness in some areas of the body, the appearance of lumps or swelling, and changes in skeletal muscles, especially in the hands, resulting in so-called "claw hands." According to documentation, it may have existed for more than 4,000 years BC, with its first diagnoses in countries such as Japan, India, and China. The disease arrived in Brazil with the Portuguese and contributed to the genocide of indigenous peoples. But beyond that, leprosy caused a real social change: fear of contagion led to patients being separated from their families and abandoned by society in places called leprosariums, which were only closed in the 1950s. Drauzio talks about the disease, its social consequences, and the advances in treatment that have been made over the years. Website: http://www.drauziovarella.uol.com.br Instagram: http://bit.ly/IGPortalDrauzio Twitter: http://bit.ly/TWPortalDrauzio Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBPortalDrauzio Production: Júpiter Conteúdo em Movimento Also watch: Commentando Comentários: https://bit.ly/3rh3i2t Coronavirus: https://bit.ly/3tR5cZr Drauzio Dichava: https://bit.ly/2Qsy0ZK Listen to our podcasts: DrauzioCast: https://bit.ly/2NP7o4n Other Stories: https://bit.ly/3rd2L1y Why Does It Hurt?: https://bit.ly/2QpNfCH Meanwhile: https://bit.ly/3d5cnX4 Health No Taboo: https://bit.ly/3vYTBJQ