--- title: Armadillos Cause Leprosy in Florida, Health Officials Say description: Heath officials in Florida warned people to avoid armadillos because they can pass leprosy to humans, WJAX-TV reports. canonical: https://time.com/3967472/florida-armadillos-leprosy/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-22T14:59:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-14T22:34:54.000Z article:section: Science og:title: Armadillos Are Giving People Leprosy in Florida og:description: There have been nine cases in humans so far this year og:url: https://time.com/3967472/florida-armadillos-leprosy/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd8a48d9cf61775c5/69885be50a4a229ba59c53f8/armadillo.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5125 og:image:height: 2883 og:image:alt: Nine-banded Armadillo og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Armadillos Are Giving People Leprosy in Florida twitter:description: There have been nine cases in humans so far this year twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd8a48d9cf61775c5/69885be50a4a229ba59c53f8/armadillo.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 02:18 video:published: 2013-12-04 section: science topics: invasive species, Asian carp, lionfish, Burmese pythons, Great Lakes ecosystem, Florida Everglades, endangered species, international trade, habitat disruption, government spending genre: explainer, news feature tones: informative, alarmed, analytical emotions: concern (medium), alarm (medium), curiosity (low) sentiment: negative audience: general news readers, environmentalists, policy followers, science enthusiasts people: Bryan Walsh organizations: TIME, White House, US government transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Armadillos Are Giving People Leprosy in Florida > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is TIME's weekly climate and energy newsletter, written by senior correspondent Justin Worland. It connects the energy transition to the decisions reshaping business, technology, policy and markets. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=0bbe4d64-4d8c-4273-aebd-ec09cf3776cf&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Overstepping Boundaries: The Danger of Invasive Species [Watch (HLS stream): Overstepping Boundaries: The Danger of Invasive Species](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/zHyAT7e9.m3u8) (2:18)  _Published 2013-12-04. What are invasive species, and why are they dangerous? TIME's Bryan Walsh explains how animals like the Asian carp, lionfish, and Burmese python can be a threat._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary TIME's Bryan Walsh explains what invasive species are and why they threaten ecosystems. He covers Asian carp in the Midwest and Great Lakes, lionfish in the Atlantic, and Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades. The video notes that governments spend billions fighting invasive species, that the problem is growing through habitat mixing and international trade, and that some scientists have suggested giving up the fight. ## Key points - The narrator says invasive animals are among the biggest threats to endangered species, ahead of poaching, pollution, and climate change. (00:00) - Asian carp were imported by Midwest fish farmers in the 1970s and escaped due to flooding. (00:17) - The White House named a carp czar in 2010, and the government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to defend the Great Lakes. (00:38) - A new study found grass carp, a subspecies of Asian carp, appear to have established themselves in a river leading directly into the Great Lakes. (00:46) - Lionfish were accidentally introduced to the Atlantic during Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and are rapid breeders that consume more than 40 species. (00:59) - Native species have no innate fear of invasive species like lionfish until it is too late. (01:16) - Burmese pythons, often released as pets, can grow nearly 20 feet and have begun to menace the Florida Everglades. (01:23) - The problem is getting worse due to habitat mixing and growing international trade that ships species across the globe. (01:52) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:14] Invasive species as a major threat. The video introduces animals, rather than poaching or pollution, as a major threat to endangered species. - [00:14 to 00:46] Asian carp and the Great Lakes. The Asian carp's origins, its escape, and government efforts to keep it out of the Great Lakes are described. - [00:46 to 01:23] Lionfish in the Atlantic. A new study on grass carp is discussed before the lionfish's arrival and impact in the Atlantic. - [01:23 to 01:52] Burmese pythons in the Everglades. Burmese pythons' size, prey, and impact on Everglades mammal populations are explained, along with government spending on invasive species. - [01:52 to 02:18] A losing battle against invasive species. Growing habitat mixing and trade are blamed for the problem, and some scientists argue the fight is futile. ## Key quotes - [00:00] Bryan Walsh: "One of the biggest threats to endangered species isn't poaching, or pollution, or climate change. It's other animals." - [01:16] Bryan Walsh: "native species have no innate fear of them until too late." - [02:03] Bryan Walsh: "The fight against invasive species has long been a losing battle" ## Questions this video answers - What are invasive species and why are they dangerous? [00:00] - How did Asian carp get into US waters? [00:17] - Why are lionfish especially harmful in the Atlantic? [00:59] - What threat do Burmese pythons pose to the Florida Everglades? [01:23] - Why is the problem of invasive species getting worse? [01:52] - Why have some scientists suggested giving up the fight against invasive species? [02:03]  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Updated: Dec 14, 2023 10:34 PM UTCPublished: Jul 22, 2015 2:59 PM UTC  Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), adult, Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), adult, Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Updated: Dec 14, 2023 10:34 PM UTCPublished: Jul 22, 2015 2:59 PM UTC Heath officials in Florida warned people to avoid armadillos because they can pass leprosy to humans. Nine cases of leprosy in humans have already been reported so far this year in the state—close to the annual average of 10 cases, officials said. “It is still very, very unlikely to cause problems but be aware of armadillos and stay away from them,” Sunil Joshi, president of the Duval County Medical Society, [told WJAX-TV](http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/experts-warn-floridians-steer-clear-armadillos-avo/nm32L/). He told [_USA Today_](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/07/21/florida-leprosy-infected-armadillos/30465365/) that all nine of the Florida cases involved people who had come into close contact with armadillos. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [warns](http://www.cdc.gov/leprosy/exposure/armadillos.html) on its website that humans can contract the disease from armadillos but says “the risk is low.” Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a bacterial disease that harms human skin, making it dryer and thicker and causing lesions and growths. It remains rare in the U.S. and can be cured with antibiotics. ## Transcript [00:00] One of the biggest threats to endangered species isn't [00:02] poaching, or pollution, or climate change. It's other [00:05] animals. Here's what you need to know. Just look at [00:06] the Asian [00:14] carp, invasive species that have been threatening the [00:17] US for years. The carp were imported by Midwest and [00:20] fish farmers in the 1970s, eventually escaped due to [00:23] flooding. The fish, which can grow as large as 110 [00:26] pounds, who have a habit of leaping out of the water [00:29] like silver missiles when they're threatened, are [00:31] voracious eaters. US officials were so worried that the [00:34] carp would make their way all the way up to the [00:35] Mississippi River, and into the Great Lakes' ecosystem, [00:38] that the White House named a carp czar in 2010, and [00:41] has since spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to [00:43] defend the Lakes; but those efforts may be for naught. [00:46] A new study found out last month that a number of [00:48] grass carp, a subspecies of Asian carp, seemed to [00:51] have established themselves in a river that leads [00:53] directly in to the Great Lakes, which means they could [00:55] be setting up the stage to breed for years. Then [00:59] there's the lion fish, a spine three- tipped species that [01:01] has wreaked havoc in the Atlantic since it was [01:03] accidentally introduced during Hurricane Andrew back [01:05] in 1992. Lion fish is a rapid breeder, and an [01:09] indiscriminate hunter, consuming more than 40 [01:11] species, including valuable commercial ones like the [01:13] grouper. Like many invasive species, they're especially [01:16] dangerous because native species have no innate fear [01:18] of them until too late. On land, Burmese [01:23] pythons, often released accidentally as pets by their [01:25] owners, have begun to menace the Florida everglades. [01:28] The python can grow nearly 20 feet, can take down [01:31] everything from bobcats to small alligators. In 2012, [01:35] [ unk ] the everglades from the drastic reduction in the [01:37] number of small mammals that tend to make up the [01:40] diet of the python, a sign the snakes are beginning to [01:42] have a major impact on one of the most important [01:45] ecosystems in the United States. Given the threat from [01:47] invasive species, it's unsurprising that governments [01:50] spend billions of dollars a year in trying to deal with it. [01:52] And the problem's getting worse. Part of the [ unk ] [01:55] mixing up habitats, putting animals from one part of [01:58] the world to another; while growing international trade [02:01] can ship species across the globe. The fight against [02:03] invasive species has long been a losing battle, and [02:06] [ unk ] led some scientists to say time to stop trying to [02:08] fight. After all, a species that left its home in Africa [02:12] millions of years ago has since spread to every corner [02:15] of the world. It should be a familiar one. 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