The tally includes one case in Duval County, reported in June, and two in St. Johns County, reported in March and September. No additional cases were reported in the Jacksonville area in October, according to the available data.

Two cases reported in recent weeks were in Orange and Polk counties. As of the week ending Oct. 3, each county had three cases this year, tying for the highest county totals in the state.

Hansen’s disease is a bacterial infection that mainly affects the skin and nerves. It can cause numbness, tingling, skin patches that are lighter or darker than surrounding skin, and muscle weakness. Symptoms may take as long as 20 years to appear.

The disease is curable with a combination of antibiotics, known as multidrug therapy. It is generally spread only after prolonged, close contact with an untreated person; it is not transmitted through ordinary contact such as shaking hands, hugging or sharing a meal. People stop transmitting the infection once treatment begins, according to the World Health Organization.

Researchers have also linked some U.S. infections to nine-banded armadillos, which can carry the bacteria. The source of individual infections is not always known, and public health guidance emphasizes that casual contact with people does not pose a meaningful risk.

Florida remains among the states reporting the most cases nationally, though Hansen’s disease is rare in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 95% of people are naturally immune to the bacteria. Anyone experiencing persistent numbness, unexplained loss of sensation or progressive weakness should consult a health care provider.