How do you contract leprosy? Symptoms explored as House of the Dragon star Paddy Considine reveals Viserys has skin disease

The following could contain minor spoilers for House of Dragons Episode 8. Due to a skin disease called leprosy, fans won't be seeing more of King Viserys of House Targaryen after episode 8.

The sourcebook Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin does say the cause of King Viserys' death was a disease, but it is unclear what ailment the patriarch suffered from. Fans have speculated that the Westerosi disease of Greyscale could be the possible illness.

King Viserys in House of the Dragon (image via HBO)

Paddy Considine, the actor who plays Viserys, revealed that the Ruler of the Seven Seas suffers from leprosy, a skin disease. In order to contract the disease, a healthy person will have to be in close contact with an infected person for a lengthy amount of time. It is spread through droplets from the nose and mouth i.e coughs and sneezes. Sitting beside them or shaking their hand will not affect them, as per the American Academy of Dermatology Association.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Considine confirmed the reason for the king's deteriorating health. He said:

“He's actually suffering from a form of leprosy. His body is deteriorating, his bones are deteriorating.”

He continued to allude to the fact that the disease could be seen as a "metaphor" for being king. He said that the disease aged him, though he is still young and that the stress of being king had taken a heavy toll.

“It becomes a metaphor for being king, and the stress and strain that it puts on you, and what it does to you physically, what it does to you mentally.”

By episode 8, Visery's condition had come to the point where most of his hair had fallen off and he even had to wear a golden mask to keep up his appearance in public. He was almost skeleton-like even before his premature death.

King Viserys with his golden face mask (image via DisneyPlus)

House of the Dragon is a show set to predate the Game of Thrones series and is available for streaming on HBO.

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What is leprosy?

Leprosy is a skin disease caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium Leprae. The incubation period is slow, taking the bacillus about 5 years to multiply and take over the body. Symptoms may occur within the year of infection, but could also take around 20 years to appear.

The disease is not sexually transmitted and pregnant mothers can't pass it on to their unborn children.

Symptoms of leprosy (image via MSN)

Animals are also known carriers of the leprosy bacillus. Red squirrels and nine banded armadillos are carries, so one must never handle these animals. It can also be transmitted through infected open wounds, especially if these open wounds come into contact with contaminated soil.

Red squirrels and nine banded armadillos are known carriers of leprosy bacillus (image via Getty Images)

Due to the fact that it takes many years to show, it could take a long time to detect the symptoms of the disease which include the following:

• Swelling under the surface of the skin
• Rashes or lesions that look pink/red
• Lighter or darker patches of skin
• Numbness around rashes
• Numbness in fingers or toes
• Increased light sensitivity in eyes.

While antibiotics can cure the disease by killing the bacteria causing it, they cannot reverse the damage done. Nerve damage, blindness, and skin lesions are some of the lasting effects of infection.

In the United States, there are only about 100 known cases of leprosy per year, with most patients hailing from the South, California, Hawaii, and some U.S. territories. Treatment is available, but preventative measures are easier to follow.