A bacterial infection that affects the skin and nerves, causing severe damage if left untreated; historically one of the most feared diseases in the world.
From Middle English 'leprosie,' derived from Old French 'lepre,' which came from Latin 'lepra' and Greek 'lepra,' meaning 'scaly' or 'scabby.' The disease was named for its characteristic appearance of flaky, damaged skin.
Leprosy was actually never the death sentence people thought it was—you can't catch it easily at all, and antibiotics cure it completely today. Yet for thousands of years, people with leprosy were banished from society, which tells us more about human fear than about the disease itself.
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