title: Correlation between occurrence of leprosy and fossil fuels: role of fossil fuel bacteria in the origin and global epidemiology of leprosy.
abstract: On the basis of correlative data on the global distribution of leprosy, its bacteria metabolizing fossil fuels (FF), and the FF themselves, the origin of leprosy in the world as a whole, and in the leprosy-free countries, in particular, as indigenous cases, appeared to be primarily due to a soil-to-man, and secondarily due to a man-to-man infection. These findings helped to elucidate similar problems of animal leprosies and nocardial diseases.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Chakrabarty
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Dastidar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005579:Fossil Fuels; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009615:Nocardia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D005579:Fossil Fuels