Tag: red squirrel

Leprosy found in red squirrels of Britain, Ireland: study

by Kerry SHERIDAN MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Some red squirrels in Britain and Ireland are infected with the bacteria that causes leprosy in humans, though the risk of transmission to people is low, researchers said Thursday. Still, scientists were surprised to uncover signs of the infectious disease that ravaged Europe in medieval times but which has dramatically declined in the modern era. “This has never been observed before,” said Stewart Cole, a researcher with […]