Leprosy may make an unwanted comeback, thanks to the armadillo, according to a new study from Brazil.
The study found bacteria that causes leprosy, also known as Hansen's Disease, existed in 62 percent of the nine-banded armadillos sampled in Brazil's western state of Para, National Geographic reports.
The species of armadillo is extremely popular to eat in Brazil and is believed to taste like chicken.
Those eating the animals were extremely likely to pick up the disease too, with many showing high concentrations of leprosy antibodies in their blood.
Out of the 146 people tested for the disease, a whopping 92 tested positive for the antibody.
Researchers say one major change to their diets could stop the spread - not eating the contaminated armadillo meat, especially in ceviche.
Armadillo ceviche is a popular dish in the area, and consists of raw armadillo liver and onions, but the leprosy bacteria concentrates in the liver and the spleen, so the ceviche is extra dangerous.
Armadillo expert James Loughry told National Geographic the study was important, but it should be noted the sample size was very small.
Researchers could only analyse 16 armadillos and 146 humans due to difficulty finding enough armadillos to analyse.
The team had to rely on ones shot and killed by hunters, who were reluctant to hand them over for fear of prosecution, as it's illegal to hunt wildlife in Brazil.
Newshub.
