Editing Leprosy (section)

=== Risk factors ===
The greatest risk factor for developing leprosy is contact with another person infected by leprosy.<ref name="WHO Fact Sheet" /> People who are exposed to a person who has leprosy are 5–8 times more likely to develop leprosy than members of the general population.<ref name="Schreuder2016">{{cite journal | vauthors = Schreuder PA, Noto S, Richardus JH | title = Epidemiologic trends of leprosy for the 21st century | journal = Clinics in Dermatology | volume = 34 | issue = 1 | pages = 24–31 | date = January 2016 | pmid = 26773620 | doi = 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2015.11.001 }}</ref> Leprosy occurs more commonly among those living in poverty.<ref name=Aka2012 /> Not all people who are infected with ''M. leprae'' develop symptoms.<ref name="Penna-2016">{{cite journal | vauthors = Penna ML, Penna GO, Iglesias PC, Natal S, Rodrigues LC | title = Anti-PGL-1 Positivity as a Risk Marker for the Development of Leprosy among Contacts of Leprosy Cases: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | journal = PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases | volume = 10 | issue = 5 | pages = e0004703 | date = May 2016 | pmid = 27192199 | pmc = 4871561 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004703 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Alcaïs A, Mira M, Casanova JL, Schurr E, Abel L | title = Genetic dissection of immunity in leprosy | journal = Current Opinion in Immunology | volume = 17 | issue = 1 | pages = 44–48 | date = February 2005 | pmid = 15653309 | doi = 10.1016/j.coi.2004.11.006 }}</ref>

Conditions that reduce immune function, such as malnutrition, other illnesses, or genetic mutations, may increase the risk of developing leprosy.<ref name=Schreuder2016 /> Infection with [[HIV]] does not appear to increase the risk of developing leprosy.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Lockwood DN, Lambert SM | title = Human immunodeficiency virus and leprosy: an update | journal = Dermatologic Clinics | volume = 29 | issue = 1 | pages = 125–128 | date = January 2011 | pmid = 21095536 | doi = 10.1016/j.det.2010.08.016 }}</ref> Certain genetic factors in the person exposed have been associated with developing lepromatous or tuberculoid leprosy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.internationaltextbookofleprosy.org/chapter/epidemiology-leprosy|title=Epidemiology of Leprosy|date=11 February 2016|website=International Textbook of Leprosy|access-date=30 July 2019|archive-date=23 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723224457/https://www.internationaltextbookofleprosy.org/chapter/epidemiology-leprosy|url-status=live}}</ref>