Final answer:
Leprosy is transmitted through respiratory droplets, typically requiring prolonged exposure to an infected individual's nasal secretions or saliva.
Step-by-step explanation:
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is primarily transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets. It often requires close and prolonged contact with an infected person's saliva or secretions from the nasal mucosa. While leprosy is communicable, it is not highly contagious and the vast majority of people have a natural immunity to the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. Unlike some pathogens that are transmitted through direct contact with infected body fluids or lesions, or via vectors such as fleas, leprosy requires inhalation into the nasal mucosa or repeated exposure to infected skin for transmission to occur.