With their sharp claws and leathery body armor, it’s no surprise that armadillos are not found in petting zoos. But it’s not just their bites and scratches that pose a health risk to people. Researchers have found that the armored animals can spread leprosy to humans, too.

Using genetic sequence analyses, US government scientists discovered the same strain of the leprosy pathogen in 28 of 33 wild armadillos and 25 of 39 human skin samples, suggesting that up to a third of the 150 to 250 leprosy cases that arise each year in the southern US result from contact with infected armadillos.

“We’ve been able to demonstrate for the first time that environmental reservoirs are important for leprosy,” says Richard Truman, a scientist with the US Health Resources and Services Administration’s National Hansen’s Disease Program in Baton Rouge, Louisiana who led the study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

“Many people from the south really have no idea what their source of infection is for the disease, and that can be very anxiety provoking," Truman adds. "Here, we show a good biological source for the disease, and that may provide some relief for some individuals when they’re diagnosed with this infection.”

Images courtesy of The National Hansen’s Disease Program