What's a Leper Colony?

A leper colony, lazarette, leprosarium, or lazar house was historically a place to isolate people with leprosy. The term lazaretto, which is derived from the name of the biblical figure Saint Lazarus, can refer to isolation sites, which were at some time also "colonies", or places where lepers lived or were sent.

Are there still leper colonies in the world?

While the World Health Organization declared Leprosy eliminated, quarantine zones still exist. ... Yet hundreds of quarantine sites called leper colonies still exist -- most of them in India.

Why is it called a leper colony?

A leper colony administered by a Roman Catholic order was often called a lazar house, after Lazarus, the patron saint of people affected with leprosy. ... Some leper colonies issued their own money (such as tokens), in the belief that allowing people affected by leprosy to handle regular money could spread the disease.