Manuel is widower. He arrived to Marituba (Pará) in the 80’s. Married people could dispose of a own home between in the land
Manuel is widower. He arrived to Marituba (Pará) in the 80’s. Married people could dispose of a own home between in the land of colonies, as his neighbours. Now houses are part of the community. Attitudes about leprosy are changing, albeit slowly. The disease, though no different from any other bacterial infection, carries with it stigma of biblical proportions. People with the telltale signs of leprosy, particularly the facial wounds and stumpy fingers that advanced disease brings, are shunned. They are usually reduced to begging, and living in abject poverty exacerbates the condition. In Canada, until the mid-20th century, people with leprosy were quarantined, on the mistaken belief that the disease was highly contagious. “Chinese lepers” were dumped on D’Arcy Island, off the coast of British Columbia, and left to die. “White lepers” were sent to Sheldrake Island off New Brunswick, where they received food and rudimentary care. Today, Canada sees only a handful of leprosy cases each year, and they are easily treated in the tropical disease units of big city hospitals. But elsewhere in the world, lazarettos (also known as leper colonies) still exist. So do fear and stigma. As with many misunderstood conditions, the most severe symptom is ignorance.
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Photo credit: © Sergi Reboredo / Alamy / Afripics
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