How does the leprosy actually spread?

Leprosy is caused by bacteria that disrupts the hosts' tissues and attack the skin and nerve endings. But how does this disease actually spread and why did people were afraid of coming near patients with leprosy?

Unknown mode of transmission, but I've read that aerisolized droplets (respiratory) is thought to be the major one. Avoiding contact would be a good idea though.

Also, over half of the people infected had no known contact with an infected person..

Leprosy is caused by a bacteria. If the bacteria gets into the body through openings, for example through the mouth or cuts, you could get leprosy.

Leprosy has traditionally been classified into two major types, tuberculoid and lepromatous. Patients with tuberculoid leprosy have limited disease and relatively few bacteria in the skin and nerves, while lepromatous patients have widespread disease and large numbers of bacteria. Tuberculoid leprosy is characterized by a few flat or slightly raised skin lesions of various sizes that are typically pale or slightly red, dry, hairless, and numb to touch (anesthetic). Lepromatous leprosy is at the other end of the spectrum, with a much more generalized disease, diffuse involvement of the skin, thickening of many peripheral nerves, and at times involvement of other organs, such as eyes, nose, testicles, and bone. There are also intermediate subtypes between these two extremes that are commonly known as borderline leprosy. The intermediate subtypes are borderline tuberculoid, midborderline, and borderline lepromatous leprosy. Borderline leprosy and the subtypes are characterized by more extensive disease than polar tuberculoid, with more numerous skin lesions and more nerve involvement, but not as widespread disease as in lepromatous leprosy.

It is spread through contact with a person suffering from the disease. Touching, eating from the same bowl, handling their clothing etc.