As already mentioned, the body's immune response to infection with M leprae is the most important factor determining the outcome of the disease in any individual patient. This is a complex field which is continuously changing as new findings modify older hypotheses.

A comprehensive overview of the immunology of leprosy , dating from 1988, was written by the academic staff of Carville, USA.

A simplified overview is also available.

Mother and child, Mozambique. Image: Jan-Joseph Stok, NLR