kusta
Kusta, also known as Hansen's disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae or, less commonly, Mycobacterium lepromatosis. The condition mainly affects the skin and peripheral nerves and can involve the eyes and mucous membranes.
Transmission occurs through prolonged close contact and exposure to droplets from the nose or mouth of an
Clinical forms range from paucibacillary (tuberculoid) to multibacillary (lepromatous), with varying amounts of bacteria and symptoms.
Diagnosis relies on clinical signs, skin smears or biopsies to detect bacteria, and nerve testing. Classification
Treatment uses multidrug therapy (MDT) recommended by the World Health Organization: rifampicin, dapsone, and clofazimine, given
Prevention includes early case detection and contact tracing. A single-dose rifampicin prophylaxis for close contacts can
Prognosis depends on the extent of nerve involvement; with timely MDT, most patients recover, though some nerve