According to Serbian Economist, two cases of leprosy (Hansen’s disease) have been confirmed in Romania — the first in the country in over 40 years, authorities said. The disease was diagnosed in two massage therapists at a spa in the northwestern city of Cluj. Both patients are Indonesian citizens aged 21 and 25; two other people are being tested.
Health Minister Alexandru Rogobete said that visitors to the spa center should not panic, as prolonged contact is usually required for the infection to be transmitted. According to him, one of the patients recently returned from Asia, where she spent about a month with her mother, who was in the hospital with the same disease at the time. The authorities have suspended the spa center’s operations for the duration of the epidemiological investigation.
According to Romanian authorities, the last confirmed case of leprosy in the country was recorded 44 years ago (i.e., in the early 1980s).
An important clarification: we are talking about “the first cases in Romania in 40+ years,” not “the first in Europe” — the media sometimes likes to simplify headlines.
What does this mean for tourists and the healthcare system?
According to the authorities, the risk to spa customers is low: leprosy is usually transmitted through prolonged close contact with an untreated patient; casual contact is not considered a typical route of transmission.
The long incubation period makes it likely that the infection did not occur in Romania: symptoms can appear years later, sometimes up to 20 years after contact.
Closing the facility and testing contacts is a standard measure for rare imported infections: even with low contagiousness, it is important to quickly identify close contacts (including colleagues) and prevent further transmission.
The informational risk (fears/stigma) may be higher than the medical risk: leprosy has historically been highly stigmatized, although today it is curable and, with timely treatment, does not usually lead to disability.
What is leprosy (Hansen’s disease):
Causative agent: Mycobacterium leprae bacteria. The disease most often affects the skin and peripheral nerves.
Transmission: mainly through droplets from the nose/mouth during close and frequent contact with an untreated person. It is not spread through normal everyday contact (handshakes, hugs, sharing food, sitting next to someone).
Incubation period: on average about 5 years, but symptoms may appear much later — up to 20 years.
Treatment: leprosy is curable with multidrug therapy (MDT); after starting treatment, the patient usually ceases to be a source of infection.
