leprosy

Meanings

• Noun

  A chronic bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis, primarily affecting the skin, the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and the peripheral nerves.

  - "Leprosy is a disease that has affected humans for thousands of years."
  - "The symptoms of leprosy include skin lesions and nerve damage."

• Noun

  A stigma or discrimination against people affected by leprosy, based on fear, misconceptions, or prejudice.

  - "The leprosy colony was closed down due to public pressure."
  - "Despite advances in treatment, the stigma of leprosy remains a significant barrier to care."

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Synonyms

Hansen's disease , mesel

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with leprosy
syphilis , risenesis , apotheosis

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Variants

List of all variants of leprosy that leads to same result
leprosies , leprosy , leprotic , anti-leprosy , antileprosy

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Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

From Old English leprosy, from lepra, akin to Old Norse lepra, from Greek lepra, a skin disease.

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Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. Leprosy is not highly contagious, and most people recover from infection without developing symptoms.

2. The World Health Organization aims to eliminate leprosy as a public health problem by 2020.

3. The term 'leper' comes from the Greek word lepra, meaning 'scale' or 'scaly', referring to the skin lesions associated with the disease.

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Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. Hansen's disease: An alternative name for leprosy, named after Gerhard Hansen, who discovered the causative bacterium.

2. Multibacillary leprosy: A form of leprosy characterized by the presence of numerous acid-fast bacilli in the skin lesions and nasal mucosa.

3. Pauci-bacillary leprosy: A form of leprosy with fewer acid-fast bacilli in the lesions, often resulting in less severe symptoms.

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Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

Leprosy has been a significant part of human history, with biblical references and widespread fear and stigma leading to the establishment of leper colonies. In literature, leprosy has been used as a metaphor for isolation and suffering, as in Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

How to Memorize "leprosy"

1. visualize
   

   - Imagine a person with skin lesions and nerve damage, which are common symptoms of leprosy.
   - Visualize the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis, which causes leprosy.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the word 'leprosy' with the symptoms of skin lesions and nerve damage.
   - Link leprosy with the historical context of leper colonies and discrimination against those affected.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Use the mnemonic 'Leprosy: Lots of Pain and Sensory Yikes' to remember the symptoms.
   - Remember the acronym 'HANSEN' to recall the causative bacterium's name: Hansen's Acid-fast Nocardia-like Bacillus, Slowly Engulfed by Neutrophils.

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