Earliest Leprosy in India

A middle aged adult male from Balathal, India dating to 2,000 B.C. is examined for osteological indicators of leprosy. Leprosy markers exhibited include pathological changes in the rhinomaxillary region, periostitis, evidence of degenerative bone disease, and damage to the peripheral skeleton. A differential diagnosis of lesions present in the bone included leprosy, leishmaniasis, tuberculosis, treponemal disease, osteomyelitis, and non-specific infection. This represents the oldest skeletal evidence for leprosy and supports the argument that early Vedic scriptures provide the first textual reference to leprosy.