Should we be afraid of leprosy?

If we hear the word "leprosy", it struck some terrible things in our minds. We will imagine a highly contagious disease disgusting. We are afraid to close with a leper because we are afraid of contracting. We also could have imagined would undermine leprosy sufferers until the patient's fingers off by itself which also occurs in diabetic patients.

Our fear of leprosy is excessive. Leprosy is an infectious skin disease. Transmission of leprosy can be through many ways such as through touch as well even through the bacteria that we breathe. However, among other infectious diseases, leprosy is a disease that most low-level transmission.

Some skin diseases journal stated that "from 100 people who are exposed to the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae, there are only 5 people will have leprosy germs in his body. From the 5 people who carry the leprosy bacteria, only 3 people will contract leprosy but is still in the mild stage. Two of them will suffer light leprosy which will heal by itself. Only one person will suffer severe leprosy that requires medical treatment.

Leprosy is not easily transmitted through skin contact such as shaking hands. Transmission of leprosy requires intensive skin contact. However, I have not found a journal that mentions a period of skin contact can transmit leprosy.