Besides humans, nine-banded armadillos are the only animals that can carry M. leprae, the bacteria that causes leprosy. Several human cases of the disease linked with the pests have been reported in Texas, though these animals have also tested positive for M. leprae in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

Can you get leprosy by touching an armadillo?

In the southern United States, some armadillos are naturally infected with the bacteria that cause Hansen's disease in people and it may be possible that they can spread it to people. However, the risk is very low and most people who come into contact with armadillos are unlikely to get Hansen's disease.

How do armadillos spread leprosy to Humans?

An unsightly animal, a worse disease

It is is spread mainly by aerosol infection, or coughing and sneezing, from human to human. Typically, infection requires living in close contact with an untreated infected individual. Symptoms develop slowly, as long as three to seven years after infection.