If you ever consider snuggling up with an armadillo or having one for lunch, consider whether or not your endeavor is worth the risk of contracting leprosy.

The New York Times reports federal researchers found that the armored rascals can transmit leprosy to humans, concluding that about a third of the 150 to 250 annual American leprosy cases come from regions in which people hunt, eat and skin armadillos.

The story, citing a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, says leprosy cases often go undetected because doctors don’t typically test for the disease in patients who haven’t traveled to leprosy hot spots such as India, Brazil and Africa.

What’s the nastiest skin condition you’ve ever contracted?

Armadillos Can Transmit Leprosy to Humans, Federal Researchers Confirm [The New York Times]

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