Romania finds two masseuses with leprosy, first cases in 40 years
  • 344 points ClearlyNotMeAtAll

    BUCHAREST, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Romania said it had found two masseuses with leprosy at a spa in the northwestern city of Cluj, the European Union state's first confirmed cases of the disease in more than 40 years.

    Two more people were being tested and the two confirmed cases - both Indonesian nationals aged 21 and 25 - were being treated, the health ministry added.

    Health Minister Alexandru Rogobete said customers at the spa should not worry, as the disease required extended exposure to pass on.

    One of the patients had recently returned from Asia, where she had spent a month with her mother who was currently in hospital with the same disease, Rogobete was quoted as saying by state news agency Agerpres.

    Authorities had shut down the spa pending an investigation, health officials said.

    Romania's last confirmed case of leprosy - also known as Hansen's disease - was detected 44 years ago, the ministry said.

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    170 points Bogus007

    Why the hack you need masseuse from Indonesia???? Are there none from Romania?

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    312 points Ath0m1x

    Nope, they all left for Western Europe to earn a decent living, or they're working other professions.

    Can't really survive on 500 euro salary if rent is 250-300.

    My physical therapist friends each earn about twice what I earn as an engineer in Romania, now that they work in France.

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    145 points Sandy-Balls

    So you import from the third world to ensure salaries remain low so your nationals never return?

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    112 points Vlad_TheImpalla

    That's the gist of it.

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    45 points ihavenoidea1001

    It's also the working market in Portugal tbh

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    36 points TyrusX

    That’s all countries now

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    29 points MagnificentCat

    It's not like only Romania does this

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    30 points Raulr100

    Romania is a funny middleman though. We export cheap labour while we also import even cheaper labour.

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    1 points Live-Alternative-435

    That's Portugal too.

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    1 points nickmn13

    That's the poor EU in general. People from the poor EU countries go and become cheap labor in the rich EU countries while importing cheaper labor from third world countries.

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    1 points Account-for-downvote

    Only recently did Poland stop using cheap North Korean labour.

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    43 points Particular_Walk_5420

    Unfortunately...a lot of countries in Europe do that

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    32 points WislaHD

    It is more odd that you are reacting to this with apparent surprise.

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    2 points pablorebelliousPT

    We Portuguese have a very distinct sense of humor.  Everything is fine.

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    19 points Rheabae

    Welcome to everywhere in Europe the last 10 years.

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    3 points -Gh0st96-

    10? More like 30+

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    9 points Caut-Nevasta

    What? This happens all across Europe.

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    6 points Ok-Yoghurt9472

    what, you think your country doesn't do the same?

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    3 points karagousis

    Plot-twist: Romania is poor too.

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    2 points zeolus123

    I mean welcome to the developed world lol. This isn't new and isn't exclusive to Romania or even Europe.

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    3 points Cristi20404

    that’s the beauty of capitalism isn’t it?

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    1 points Ath0m1x

    No, people can't earn decent salaries here in that profession so they leave.

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    1 points Certain-Business-472

    Welcome to capitalism, back of the line chum

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    1 points Suspicious_Place1270

    yes, Croatia does the same by using the "people do not want to work these jobs anymore" explanation as a scapegoat

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    0 points TastemySpatula

    news said the other day that importing indians to marry romanian girls is the only way to grow the population, crazy sht..

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    7 points Djana1553

    Ive never heard of any romanian women to be into indian men its like the one nation nobody seem to fetishy.

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    0 points bountyraz

    Globalization baby. That's not just a Romania thing.

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    53 points soymilo_

    Never seen a local masseuse in Germany either. It's all Asians.

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    -2 points [deleted]

    [deleted]

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    5 points ClearlyNotMeAtAll

    ll four individuals are women from Asia who were employed as masseuses at a spa salon in Cluj-Napoca.

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    7 points soymilo_

    Were we talking about physiotherapy here? The topic was a SPA so I figured we are talking about a basic commercial massage here.

    Btw what is BG?

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    -7 points Bogus007

    Wrong branch, my friend! At the hospital I have German masseur and masseuse - though it may depend on hospital.

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    22 points soymilo_

    OP talked about a SPA so I figured we were talking about commercial places.

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    -1 points Bogus007

    Thermal bath is AFAIK also a spa. Went to one with German masseur and masseuse. No prob if you want and you search.

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    18 points uzu_afk

    They’re all in the UK :))

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    9 points Caut-Nevasta

    Hmm, no... ever since BREXIT they become increasingly more racist. Can't remember when I wasn't called a gypsy after mentioning that I'm Romanian, even tough I'm not a gypsy.

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    2 points Topinio

    Sorry about that. Don't suppose it helps much, but for what it's worth, plenty of us are embarrassed about those morons and are sad to see so many folks from Romania and other EU countries leaving us.

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    1 points Caut-Nevasta

    It's ok, I don't hate all of you. Just a good chuck of them. 😁

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    3 points Enamoure

    I would say probably Italy 🤣

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    5 points RhinoFish

    Aside from the economic reasons it might also be a skill/image issue e.g. customers prefer Indonesian masseuses to perform Bali and other "exotic" massages. Personally I have never had a Thai massage from a non-thai masseuse that was authentic.

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    -2 points Bogus007

    Then go to a Thai place with Thai masseuse.

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    36 points Rough_Check_5606

    why should we not need masseuses from Indonesia? If they pay their taxes and provide services without causing any issues, then bring them in

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    38 points arkencode

    Except for leprocy.

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    16 points flightless_mouse

    Lol, asking “why should we not need masseuses from Indonesia” in a thread about leprosy returning to Romania after 40 years via Indonesian masseuses with leprosy

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    -11 points MF-Geuze

    How do Indonesians legally migrate to the EU? Unfortunately, many of the Asian people you see working in places like nail salons in the west are victims of human trafficking 

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    18 points georgica123

    Working visas. Business in romania have succefuly lobbed the goverment to allow them to import workers from abroad instead of raising wages

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    4 points Witchcleaver666

    Many such cases, unfortunately

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    4 points beetsonr89d6

    you know people can just move to a country and work there, they don't have to be "needed"

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    -6 points Bogus007

    I assume you like to have it cheap. Probably quality does not count, nor the national economy or unemployment rate of your country.

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    1 points beetsonr89d6

    what's up with the random rant and how is it related in any way with what I said?

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    1 points Socmel_

    Maybe they are "masseuses"

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  • 350 points Heavy-Nose3529

    Let’s be clear: 95% of humanity is immune to the disease. The rest are easily treated with antibiotics IF they can afford it. Most cases are in poorer areas of india, indonesia, etc, where these two masseuses came from (indonesia) they likely picked up the disease before they came to romania and since it has a incubation time of around 5-20 years, the symptoms didn’t show until now.

    The horrifying part isn’t that they got this treatable disease, it’s that media outlets are trying to paint it as the end of the world. Like it’s world news of massive importance.

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    105 points Aces115

    Novartis provides the medicine free of charge worldwide.

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    -27 points Caut-Nevasta

    Unless antibiotics are banned in your country and can be bough only with a medical prescription.

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    35 points languagestudent1546

    This applies to most countries. Getting antibiotics prescribed when you have leprosy shouldn’t be a problem…

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    26 points Raulr100

    People should not be able to buy antibiotics without a prescription. Antibiotic resistance is a serious issue.

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    1 points Certain-Business-472

    That merely prolongs the inevitable. I just buy it from Germany online when I need it(which is nearly never btw). It's nice to skip the MD and pay tons of deductables just to get medicine I know I need.

    The medical industry has no right to say shit like this, considering their history. Bunch of arrogant god-complexes.

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    -14 points Caut-Nevasta

    Well, some people are poor and don't have insurance. Also, after the ban medics become increasingly more scared to prescribe them as they get audited on why they did prescribe them. Had a friend infected with h pylori and the doctor didn't prescribe him antibiotics. Only after he went to another doctor got the proper treatment. So it's a double edge law.

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    1 points Perkomobil

    Which country bans antibiotics?!!

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    43 points ruskyandrei

    It just fits into the anti migration outrage theme too well to not run with it.

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    1 points banned4violence

    It's just that most people only know about it from history class or the Bible, and it's horrifying to learn that something from the past is back.

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    12 points celibidaque

    IF they can afford the antibiotics? You really don’t know what you’re talking about, do you? Leprosy treatment is free, worldwide.

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    1 points WhatWouldTheonDo

    The horrifying part isn’t that they got this treatable disease, it’s that media outlets are trying to paint it as the end of the world. Like it’s world news of massive importance.

    Unsurprising when you realize this is Romania. MAGA could’ve dominated their politics for decades if it was packaged in Romanian.

    Just check the comments here from Romanian Redditors, reading comprehension of a wet towel.

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    -4 points wordswillneverhurtme

    The real risk is it spreading. Sure we can cure it. We can cure covid too.

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  • 27 points nvkylebrown

    https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/leprosy-symptoms-treatments-history

    Clearing up a few things, it's not highly contagious.

    It's not clear exactly how leprosy is transmitted. When a person with the disease coughs or sneezes, they may spread droplets containing the M. leprae bacteria that another person breathes in. It takes close physical contact with an infected person to transmit leprosy. It's not spread by casual contact like shaking hands, hugging, or sitting next to someone on a bus or at a table during a meal.

    Pregnant mothers with leprosy can’t pass it to their babies. It’s not spread by sexual contact, either.

    And

    Leprosy can be cured. In the last 2 decades, 16 million people with the disease have been cured. The World Health Organization provides free treatment for all people with leprosy.

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  • 33 points lokicramer

    No need to panic at all.

    The vast majority of people are naturally immune or resistant to leprosy.

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  • 28 points Blitzdog416

    do they offer a discount, like 10%, 15%, 25% off?

    i'll show myself out, thank you

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    21 points eeladvised

    "You can keep the tip" :D

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    9 points Eldhannas

    After it falls off.

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    5 points Caut-Nevasta

    The happy ending was not getting the disease.

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  • 3 points mystic-badger

    Who ate marmot again?

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  • 9 points JunkiesAndWhores

    Happy ending is now horrific ending.

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    9 points iVar4sale

    You get to keep the hands that massaged you as souvenirs

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    3 points JunkiesAndWhores

    An ode...

    Will she or

    Will she not

    Give his willy

    A dose of cock rot

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  • 1 points ConsequenceAromatic4

    Note to self...

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  • 1 points ipiaz

    Romania is really having a terrible time with diseases lately. They had 30,000 plus measles cases too. They've got a TB problem.

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  • 0 points Liima89

    I bet they used to work for the Tate brothers...

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  • -14 points No_Football_9232

    Leprosy - coming soon to the US of A!

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    21 points lolcutler

    leprosy is more common around 180 cases a year in the US already because some southern animals(armadillos) are natural carriers of the bacteria

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    13 points NoFanksYou

    It’s already here. Armadillos carry the bacteria

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    3 points sysmimas

    Romania did not have it for over 40 years. US of A had it all this time.

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    1 points reformedMedas

    Its prezzident is already a "lepră".

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  • -4 points yallah110

    I mean I've been with some crazy skanks but this would probably be too much even for the me

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