Most of us have heard about the story from Hindu mythology about Samba, the son of Lord Krishna, who was afflicted with leprosy following the curse of sage Durvasa for mocking him. Samba underwent penance for 12 years and got cured by worshipping Surya, the sun god in a temple constructed by him near Konark in Orissa during pre-historic times.
It was also believed in many cultures worldwide that leprosy is caused due to the curse of gods or for their sins committed during past lives. However, with advancing scientific knowledge we now know that leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that is curable with treatment.
Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae which was discovered by Dr. Hansen, a Norwegian doctor in 1873. Leprosy affects humans but not animals and this was hampering research work. In 1960, M. leprae could be multiplied to a limited extent when injected into the footpad of mice.
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