issues relating to his obesity, including infections and gout. Infection of animals Wild nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) in south central United States often carry Mycobacterium leprae. This is believed to be because armadillos have a low body temperature. Leprosy lesions appear mainly in cooler body regions such as the skin and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. Because of armadillos' armor, skin lesions are hard to see. Abrasions around the eyes, nose and feet are the most common signs. Infected armadillos make up a large reservoir of M. leprae and may be a source of infection for some humans in the United States or other locations in the armadillos' home range. In armadillo leprosy, lesions do not persist at the site of entry in animals, M. leprae multiply in macrophages at the site of inoculation and lymph nodes. A recent outbreak in chimpanzees in West Africa is showing that the bacteria can infect another species and also possibly have additional rodent hosts. Recent studies have demonstrated that the disease is endemic in the UK red Eurasian squirrel population, with Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis appearing in different populations. The Mycobacteria leprae'' strain discovered on Brownsea Island is equated to one thought to have died out in the human population in mediaeval times. Despite this, and speculation regarding past transmission through trade in squirrel furs, there does not seem to be a high risk of squirrel to human transmission from the wild population. Although Leprosy continues to be diagnosed in immigrants to the UK, the last known human case of leprosy arising in the UK was recorded over 200 years ago. It has been shown that leprosy can reprogram cells in mouse and armadillos models similarly as how Induced pluripotent stem cells are generated by the transcription factors Myc, Oct3/4, Sox2 and Klf4. See also Leper Colony Alice Ball Maurice Born Kate Marsden References Further reading External links Links and resources to information about leprosy selected by the World Health Organization Bacterial diseases Tropical diseases Wikipedia infectious disease articles ready to translate Wikipedia medicine articles ready to translate Hansens's disease