PORT OF SPAIN – For those Trinbagonians who hunt and consume wild meat, particularly armadillos (Tatoo), a word of caution.
Cases of the leprosy have been surfacing in South America and Florida where people who handle and consume the creature are suffering the effects of the disease. The carcass of the armadillo is known to be smuggled into Trinidad from South America.
Armadillos are in the medical study of leprosy as they are the few species which can contract the leprosy disease. This is because of their low body temperature is similar to humans.
Human contact of the creature through handling or consumption can spread the disease.
According to conservationist with the Wildlife and Environmental Protection of Trinidad and Tobago (WEPTT) Kristopher Rattansingh, armadillos are natural reservoirs for the leprosy organism, besides humans.
Rattansingh said, he consulted Dr. Janelle Johnson of the University of the West Indies School of Veterinary Medicine, who said the last research was conducted in 1980, by Tota Maharaj.
According to Johnson, there were no cases of leprosy organism in the animal locally and there has been no research since.
Rattansingh said, it is now believed the animal (the local 9 banded armadillo) is not a carrier, but can be infected, with visible lesions.
Rattansingh also consulted Dr Carla Phillips of the UWI Veterinary Medicine on the issue, who described the organism as a slow growing, chronic disease.
He said, “This means that it can be present for many years and can go undetected.
Phillips stated: “Unless tests were done to prove they (armadillos) were negative for the leprosy organism, or some other factor that I am not readily familiar with has proven them to be negative, then we cannot assume they are negative. I do not know the status of the local armadillo population”.
Rattansingh also said if a person comes into contact with the infected tissue or body fluid (blood) that contains the leprosy organism, transmission can occur. He said, “This can be a cause of concern for hunters in Trinidad as they often come into contact with the animal. It’s blood and tissue, and since there are no visual effects or identifiers on the outside of the animal, hunters are very susceptible to being infected with no way of negating the transmission”. (Express)
