What if I told you that about 150 people are diagnosed with leprosy each year in the U.S.? And the bacteria that causes leprosy can be spread just through coughing and sneezing? But you won't have to worry too much about being diagnosed with leprosy, because 95% of the world’s population has a natural immunity to leprosy. So what is leprosy? It is caused by this bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. And it causes an infection that affects the skin, destroys nerves and can also cause problems in the eyes and nose. And living in the 21st century gives us a one up on the disease. Now, if you were to get leprosy you would be cured and given the right antibiotics. As far as someone that lived in an earlier time period, well they would definitely have a lot harder time getting cured. Most antibiotics used for the treatment are rifampin, clofazimine, and dapsone. But, now you don’t really hear too much about leprosy. You don’t normally hear on the new that multiple people were diagnosed with the disease. But don’t worry this disease is not gone; it's just still being worked on. Scientists have multiple options for antibiotics, but they still want a better cure. And they are still in the process of creating a vaccine for the disease. And the ultimate goal for all scientists is, of course, the extinction of leprosy.