J-Bar
Member
Armadillos are the only other animal besides humans that are known to carry leprosy (Hansen's Disease). There are still questions about how much of a risk there is to humans who handle armadillos, but even the CDC recommends avoiding contact. You can Google "leprosy armadillos" and get a whole bunch of articles, including evidence of a rise of human cases in Florida supposedly linked to armadillo contact. There is also evidence that humans passed leprosy to armadillos hundreds of years ago...so there are still a bunch of unanswered question.
So until there is a clear answer one way or the other, and even though it is relatively difficult for humans to develop leprosy, I think it is wise to minimize physical contact with armadillos. If you are shooting them or trapping them, I would wear gloves and avoid prolonged exposure to both live and dead armadillos. Practicing good hygiene and sanitation can't hurt anything.
So until there is a clear answer one way or the other, and even though it is relatively difficult for humans to develop leprosy, I think it is wise to minimize physical contact with armadillos. If you are shooting them or trapping them, I would wear gloves and avoid prolonged exposure to both live and dead armadillos. Practicing good hygiene and sanitation can't hurt anything.