We found Mycobacterium leprae, the most common etiologic agent of Hansen disease or leprosy, in tissues from 9 (18.75%) of 48 nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) collected across continental Ecuador. Finding evidence of a wildlife reservoir is the first step to recognizing leprosy zoonotic transmission pathway in Ecuador or elsewhere.
Keywords: Dasypus novemcinctus; Ecuador; Hansen disease; Mycobacterium leprae; bacteria; environmental clusters; leprosy; nine-banded armadillos; tuberculosis and other mycobacteria; zoonoses.