Associate professor and leprosy researcher Dr. John Spencer comments on the infectious nature of leprosy (M. Leprae) and the increased case numbers currently seen in Florida.

Identified in chimpanzees, leprosy joins a growing list of pathogens circulating in the environment that afflict both humans and other animals.

Alum John Spencer has pursued an exciting career focused on leprosy, around the world and in the lab, since graduating from Avon Old Farms.

The first confirmed cases of leprosy affecting wild chimpanzees, suggests an unidentified reservoir in the environment.

After 23 years, CSU professor John Spencer remains as passionate as ever about his work, especially efforts to contribute to the creation of a simple test to determine a person’s risk for developing leprosy.

CSU professor John Spencer explains how armadillos pose a serious risk of spreading leprosy through contact with local human populations.

An international team led by Colorado State University has found that human contact with wild armadillos has contributed to extremely high infection rates of a pathogen that can cause leprosy in Pará, Brazil.

The majority of armadillos may be carriers of leprosy in a Brazil, where the rate of leprosy cases reported is amongst the highest in the world.

A study led by CSU professor John Spencer found that 62% of all armadillos in the western part of Pará state in Brazil carry the bacteria that causes leprosy.