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Case-control Study of Armadillo Contact and Hansen’s Disease

Hansen’s disease (HD) continues to have worldwide impact despite efforts to eradicate the disease. Although a definitive transmission mode has not been identified, data supports an association between HD and contact with the nine-banded armadillo. We conducted a case-control study of 28 HD patients to determine if there is an association between armadillo exposure and HD. There was no association between HD and place of birth or having hunted, consumed, or had direct or indirect contact with deer, birds, or squirrels. Univariate analysis showed that residence in Mexico (P = 0.001), hunting rabbits (P = 0.04), cleaning rabbits (P < 0.001), and armadillo exposure from hunting (P = 0.005), cleaning (P = 0.004), consuming (P = 0.002) them, or having direct armadillo contact (P = 0.017) were associated with HD. Multivariate analysis showed that eating armadillos (P = 0.039, odds ratio [OR] = 3.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07–12.4), cleaning rabbits (P = 0.018, OR = 4.08, 95% CI = 1.27–13.1), and having lived in Mexico (P = 0.006, OR = 24.9, 95% CI = 2.52–245) were associated with HD.

Received September 28, 2007. Accepted for publication February 7, 2008.

Disclaimer: The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the U.S. Department of the Army, the U.S. Department of the Air Force, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

Disclosure: The authors are employees of the U.S. government and this work was performed as part of their official duties. As such, there is no copyright to be transferred.

^* Address correspondence to Clinton K. Murray, Department of Medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center, 3851 Roger Brooke Drive, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78216. E-mail: Clinton.murray{at}amedd.army.mil

Authors’ addresses: Brychan M. Clark, Department of Medicine, Mike O’Callaghan Federal Hospital, 4700 Las Vegas Boulevard North, Nellis Air Force Base, NV 89191. Clinton K. Murray and Lynn L. Horvath, Department of Medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center, 3851 Roger Brooke Drive, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78216. Gregory A. Deye, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Mark S. Rasnake, Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, 1924 Alcoa Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920. Robert N. Longfield, Medicine Specialty Service, University of Texas at Tyler and Texas Center for Infectious Diseases, 2303 SE Military Drive, San Antonio, TX 78223.