Richard Collins: Research on red squirrels and leprosy links

The disease spreads through physical contact and there has been only one leprosy case identified in Ireland in more than 70 years

Leprosy may have spread between red squirrels and humans between 10th and 11th century in England, research suggests. Modern red squirrels have been found to carry strains of the leprosy bacteria, but researchers said these rodents do not pose a threat to people here

Loneliness is the leprosy of the modern world — Mother Teresa

With the recent epidemics, there is renewed interest in animals as hosts of human diseases. Leprosy is one such... armadillos and chimps are carriers. A paper, just published, examines the possibility of human infection from contact with red squirrels, the oldest known leprosy host.