Beauvillain Q, Lok C, Joachim C, Hamdad F, Lafabregue E, Attencourt C, Sevestre H, Chaby G. Autochthonous leprosy in Europe: a case report and literature review.
Int J Infect Dis 2021;
110:111-113. [PMID:
34271204 DOI:
10.1016/j.ijid.2021.07.023]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Leprosy is currently uncommon in Europe: the diagnosed cases are almost all imported from endemic areas. We report on an autochthonous case of borderline lepromatous leprosy in a 71-year-old Portuguese woman. The case was complicated by a reversal reaction and then by erythema nodosum leprosum. A literature review identified 18 reported cases of European autochthonous leprosy since 2000; all but one were observed in Mediterranean countries. Therefore, active clusters of leprosy persist in Europe, particularly in Spain, Greece, Portugal, and Italy.
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