Gerhard Henrick Armauer Hansen (July 29, 1841 - February 12, 1912) was a Norwegian physician, remembered for his identification of Mycobacterium leprae as the causative agent of leprosy in 1873. Image File history File links Gerhard Amauer Hansen, Norwegian bacteriologist who discovered the bacillum for leprosy. ... July 29 is the 210th day (211th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 155 days remaining. ... take you to calendar). ... February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Binomial name Mycobacterium leprae Hansen, 1874 Mycobacterium leprae, also known as Hansen’s bacillus, is the bacterium that causes leprosy (Hansens disease). ... For the malady found in the Hebrew Bible, see the article Tzaraath. ...

He was born in Bergen. He studied medicine at the Royal Frederik's University (now the University of Oslo), gaining his degree in 1866. He served a brief internship at the National Hospital in Christiania (Oslo) and as a doctor in Lofoten. In 1868 Hansen returned to Bergen to study leprosy while working with Daniel Cornelius Danielssen, a noted expert. County Hordaland District Midhordland Municipality NO-1201 Administrative centre Bergen Mayor (2004) Herman Friele (H) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 215 465 km² 445 km² 0. ... The University of Oslo (in Norwegian Universitetet i Oslo, in Latin Universitas Osloensis) was founded in 1811 as Universitas Regia Fredericiana (the Royal Frederick University, in Norwegian Det Kongelige Frederiks Universitet). ... County Oslo NO-03 District Viken Municipality NO-0301 Administrative centre Oslo Mayor (2004) Per Ditlev-Simonsen (H) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 224 454 km² 426 km² 0. ... Daniel Cornelius Danielssen (July 4, 1815 – July 13, 1894) was a Norwegian physician, from Bergen. ...

Leprosy was regarded as largely hereditary or otherwise miasmic in origin. Hansen became convinced of a specific cause and took the leap of considering a bacterium as the agent. In 1870-71 Hansen travelled to Bonn and Vienna to gain the training necessary for him to prove his hypothesis. In 1873, as he announced the discovery of Mycobacterium leprae in the tissues of all sufferers, although he did not claim that they were bacteria, he received little support.

In 1879 he gave tissue samples to Albert Neisser who successfully stained the bacteria and announced his findings in 1880, claiming to have discovered the disease-causing organism. There was some conflict between Neisser and Hansen, Hansen as discoverer of the bacillus and Neisser as identifier of it as the etiological agent. Neisser put in some effort to downplay the assistance of Hansen. Hansen's claim was injured by his failure to produce a pure culture in an artificial medium or to prove that the rod-shaped organisms were infectious. Further Hansen had attempted to infect a least one female patient without consent and although no damage was caused, that case ended in court and Hansen lost his post at the hospital. Categories: People stubs | 1855 births | 1916 deaths | German physicians ...

Hansen remained medical officer for leprosy in Norway and it was through his efforts that the leprosy acts of 1877 and 1885 were passed, leading to a steady decline of the disease in Norway from 1,800 known cases in 1875 to just 575 cases in 1901. His distinguished work was recognized at the International Leprosy Congress held at Bergen in 1909. 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Hansen had suffered from syphilis since the 1860s but died of heart disease. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is caused by a spirochaete bacterium, Treponema pallidum. ...

In Bergen, Norway a medical museum has been designated Hansen, which is often referred to as the leprosy-museum. The University of Bergen has also dedicated a research facility to him - Armauer Hansen Building - located at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen. County Hordaland District Midhordland Municipality NO-1201 Administrative centre Bergen Mayor (2004) Herman Friele (H) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 215 465 km² 445 km² 0. ... The University of Bergen (Universitetet i Bergen) is located in Bergen, Norway. ...

External links

• Gerhard Henryk Armauer Hansen. WhoNamedIt.