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Media reports that the government of Nepal 
has found 300 new leprosy cases in Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu and Kailali districts in a recent survey. Although Nepal declared that it had eliminated leprosy in 2010, cases have been rising for the past two years with 5 922 in 2016-2017.
Leprosy is found in 22 districts of Nepal, of which 18 are in the lowland Tarai region. Lack of awareness, poor personal hygiene and sanitation, and low economic status of the people are mainly to blame for the increasing number of leprosy patients.
Travellers intending to live, or work in highly endemic regions should be made aware of the risk infection and its manifestations, i.e. volunteers, missionaries, health care and humanitarian/aid workers.
Close contact with armadillos in the Southern USA is thought to increase the risk of infection and those travelling to work or study these animals should be advised accordingly.
There is no vaccine against leprosy. The BCG vaccine provides some cross protection against leprosy, but its efficacy varies between populations.
