Confirmed leprosy case shuts down high-end spa in city with tens of thousands of Hungarians
Romanian health authorities have confirmed a case of leprosy (Hansen disease) in Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár), leading to the temporary closure of an upscale city spa and a widening epidemiological investigation. The Ministry of Health announced the case on Thursday evening. This marks the country’s first confirmed infection since 1981.
According to an Agerpres summary, the patient is a young Asian woman working as a masseuse at a fashionable Cluj beauty and wellness salon. Local media report that the establishment is popular among the city’s elite clientele, with two-hour massages costing around RON 1,030 (EUR 202).
Three more suspected cases under examination
Three additional employees of the same salon – all young Asian women – are currently being assessed as suspected cases. Two of them, 21 and 25-year-old Indonesian nationals, presented themselves at the Cluj County Emergency Hospital on 26 November.
Health Minister Alexandru Rogobete confirmed on Facebook that microbiological data had validated one case, while three others remain under clinical and epidemiological observation. He stressed that immediate measures were taken to minimise any risk to the public.
Authorities shut down spa and launch epidemiological investigation
The State Health Surveillance Authority and the Cluj Public Health Directorate have disinfected all areas of the spa, are screening all staff members, and have expanded epidemiological checks. The ministry has also ordered the suspension of all salon activities until the investigation is complete.
The confirmed patient has already begun treatment recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Once therapy starts, international guidelines indicate that the risk of transmission rapidly decreases and eventually disappears.
Leprosy poses extremely low risk to the public
Health officials emphasise that leprosy is a slow-progressing bacterial illness caused by Mycobacterium leprae and is considered to have very low infectious potential, Telex writes. Transmission requires prolonged and repeated exposure to an untreated patient. It cannot spread through handshakes, hugs, using public transport, or sharing common spaces.
A rare disease in Europe
While the disease remains extremely rare in Europe, sporadic cases do appear, most often involving individuals from regions where leprosy is still endemic, including parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Romania’s last known leprosy case was recorded more than four decades ago, in 1981.