Trends of the leprosy control indicators in Benin from 2006 to 2018

Any resurgence of leprosy cases in the Togo's post-elimination period? Trend analysis of reported leprosy cases from 2010 to 2022

BACKGROUND

Leprosy, or Hansen's disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Togo achieved the target of eliminating leprosy as a public health problem in 2000 (less than 1 case/10 000 population). However, new cases of leprosy are still being reported. The aim of this study was to describe and map trends of leprosy cases notified in Togo from 2010 to 2022.

METHODS

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study covering a thirteen-year period from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2022. The data of the study were leprosy surveillance system's data collected monthly between 2010 and 2022. The estimated number of leprosy cases and the incidence rate of leprosy cases were reported for the whole population by region, by district, by calendar year (2010-2022) and by target sub-population (children under 15, women and people with disabilities). Observed case incidence rates were mapped by health district and by year.

RESULTS

From January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2022, 1031 new cases of leprosy were diagnosed in Togo. The median age of subjects was 46 years (interquartile range: 33-60), with extremes from 4 to 96 years. Half the subjects were women (50.7%). Variations in the leprosy incidence rate by year show an increase between 2010 and 2022, from 0.7 cases /100,000 population to 1.1 /100,000 population respectively. From 2010 to 2022, the proportion of cases in children remained low, between 0 and 9%. The proportion of women fluctuated between 39.7% and 67.2% between 2010 and 2017, then stabilized at an average of 50% between 2018 and 2022. The proportion of multi-bacillary leprosy cases increased quasi-linearly between 2010 and 2022, from 70 to 96.6%. Mapping of leprosy cases showed that leprosy was notified in all Togo health districts during the study period, apart from the Lacs district, which reported no leprosy cases.

CONCLUSION

Togo has achieved the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem. However, the increase in the number of new leprosy cases and the proportion of leprosy cases in children indicate that transmission of the disease is continuing and that supplementary measures are needed.

Assessing Nerve Conduction Velocity as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Indicator in Leprosy Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Hansen's disease is a condition in which patients develop peripheral neuropathy. In 1873, G. H. A. Hansen discovered Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy, a chronic infectious disease. These bacteria influence the peripheral nerves, which is likely to cause neuropathy. Sensory nerve conduction studies were performed in leprosy patients on the upper limb nerves of 30 patients in the rural area of the Wardha district in the Indian population. Methods In this study, we recruited 30 leprosy patients from the Department of Dermatology and A.V.B.R. Hospital, Sawangi Wardha. The patient's nerve conduction velocity (NCV) tests were carried out in the Department of Physiology at J. N. Medical College, Wardha. NCVs were obtained during these three years, beginning in 2009, while performing sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) and motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV). The latency, amplitude, and NCV parameters were recorded, and the data collection period ended in 2011. In this study, we measured both MNCV and SNCV. Results In our study, impairment of conductional velocity was observed. In leprosy patients, the MNCV values of latency, amplitude, and conductional velocity were 6.61, 3.89, and 46.92 m/s, respectively, whereas the SNCV values were 3.005, 25.17, and 38 m/s, respectively. Based on the results, it appears that the maximal sensory nerve involvement was recorded at 38 m/s conductional velocity. In NCVs, increased latency and decreased conductional velocity were found across the study. Conclusion It was concluded that nerve conduction studies are one of the non-invasive techniques for early diagnosis and management of leprosy. This study should be repeated with a larger sample size and should be multicentric.

Leprosy: The age-old companion of humans - Re-evaluation and comparative analysis of Avar-period cases with Hansen's disease from the Danube-Tisza Interfluve, Hungary

In recent years, our knowledge of leprosy in the past has substantially been enriched. Nonetheless, much still remains to be discovered, especially in regions and periods from where no written sources are available. To fill in some research gaps, we provide the comparative analysis of eight Avar-period leprosy cases from the Danube-Tisza Interfluve (Hungary). In every case, to reconstruct the biological consequences of leprosy, the detected bony changes were linked with palaeopathological and modern medical information. To reconstruct the social consequences of being affected by leprosy, conceptualisation of the examined individuals' treatment in death was conducted. In every case, the disease resulted in deformation and disfigurement of the involved anatomical areas (rhinomaxillary region, feet, and/or hands) with difficulties in conducting certain physical activities. These would have been disadvantageous for the examined individuals and limited or changed their possibilities to participate in social situations. The most severe cases would have required continuous support from others to survive. Our findings indicate that, despite their very visible disease and associated debility, the examined communities did not segregate leprosy sufferers but provided and cared for them, and maintained a strong enough social network that made their survival possible even after becoming incapable of self-sufficiency.

[Analysis of national leprosy surveillance data in Mauritania from 2009 to 2019]

Introduction

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that mainly affects the skin, mucous membranes and the peripheral nervous system. Its elimination as a public health problem seems to lead to its ignorance and therefore to a risk of late diagnosis. An analysis of leprosy surveillance data in Mauritania was conducted to determine epidemiological trends and clinical forms of reported cases.

Material and method

The retrospective study was based on the epidemiological records of leprosy in Mauritania from 2009 to 2019. The diagnosis of leprosy was made on the basis of the diagnostic criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO). Data were analyzed using Epi Info version 7.2.5.0. The frequencies, proportions, and rates were calculated.

Results

Over the past 11 years, 164 cases have been notified. Among the notified cases, 96/164 (58.5%) were males and 68/164 (41.5%) females, with a sex ratio of 1.4. The mean age (± standard deviation) was 44.0 ± 17.1 years [range, 9 - 86 years], and the median was 45 years [interquartile range, 32.5; 57.5]. Children under the age of 16 accounted for 9/164 (5.5%). The wilayas (i.e. "regions") of Nouakchott were the most endemic regions in the country. The multibacillary form (MB) represented 109/164 (66.5%) cases among the observed clinical forms. The average annual incidence was 0.3 case/100,000 population for MB and 0.1 case/100,000 for PB (paucibacillary). All reported cases were treated with multidrug therapy.

Conclusion

The results of leprosy surveillance showed a persistence of this disease in Mauritania. It is necessary to relaunch leprosy services at all levels in order to continue to reduce the morbidity associated with this disease, and eventually eliminate it from the country.

Importance of consultations using mobile teams in the screening and treatment of neglected tropical skin diseases in Benin

CONTEXT

Since 2013, the World Health Organization has recommended integrated control strategies for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) with skin manifestations. We evaluated the implementation of an integrated approach to the early detection and rapid treatment of skin NTDs based on mobile clinics in the Ouémé and Plateau areas of Benin.

METHODS

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in Ouémé and Plateau in Benin from 2018 to 2020. Consultations using mobile teams were performed at various sites selected by reasoned choice based on the epidemiological data of the National Program for the Control of Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer. All individuals presenting with a dermatological lesion who voluntarily approached the multidisciplinary management team on the day of consultation were included. The information collected was kept strictly anonymous and was entered into an Excel 2013 spreadsheet and analyzed with Stata 11 software.

RESULTS

In total, 5,267 patients with various skin conditions consulted the medical team. The median age of these patients was 14 years (IQR: 7-34 years). We saw 646 (12.3%) patients presenting NTDs with skin manifestations, principally scabies, in 88.4% (571/646), followed by 37 cases of Buruli ulcer (5.8%), 22 cases of leprosy (3.4%), 15 cases of lymphatic filariasis (2.3%) and one case of mycetoma (0.2%). We detected no cases of yaws.

CONCLUSION

This sustainable approach could help to decrease the burden of skin NTDs in resource-limited countries.

Global epidemiology of leprosy from 2010 to 2020: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the proportion of sex, type, grade 2 deformity and age

The objectives of this study were to explore global epidemiological characteristics of leprosy, and to provide reference for the construction of prevention strategies for leprosy. Computer retrieval of the study on the epidemiology of leprosy from 2010 to 2020 in Web of Science, PubMed, and SCOPUS databases were summarized. The included studies were assessed for the quality of the AHRQ; the proportions of the study indices were meta-analyzed with Stata 16.0. A random effects model was adopted to merge categories, including sex, type, grade 2 deformity (G2D) and age group for meta-analysis. The subgroup analysis used region as a stratification factor to analyze whether there were differences in the indicators. The meta-analysis included 30 studies totaling 11,353 cases. The global pooled proportion of male to female subjects with leprosy was 63% (95% CI 59%, 66%) to 37% (95% CI 34%, 41%), respectively. The pooled multibacillary proportion and paucibacillary proportion were 69% (95% CI 62%, 76%) and 31% (95% CI 24%, 38%), respectively. The pooled grade 2 deformity (G2D) proportion was 22% (95% CI 15%, 30%). Among age groups, the pooled children proportion was 11% (95% CI 8%, 13%), and the pooled adult proportion was 89% (95% CI 87%, 92%). The subgroup analysis indicated that epidemiological indicators varied from country to country. This study suggested that disparities existed between sex, type, grade 2 deformity (G2D) and age group characteristics of leprosy from country to country.

[Epidemiology of leprosy in Chad from 2015 to 2019]

INTRODUCTION

leprosy is a disease found and unevenly distributed in Chad. Since 1997, the annual national prevalence has been less than 1/10000 inhabitants, the elimination threshold set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The purpose of this study is to describe epidemiological trends of leprosy in Chad between 2015 and 2019, in order to provide the necessary data for the development of more effective strategies for leprosy control.

METHODS

we conducted a retrospective, descriptive study of patients with leprosy diagnosed between 2015 and 2019 at national level. Data were collected from the database of the National Program for the Control of Leprosy in Chad (NPCLC).

RESULTS

a total of 1896 new cases of leprosy were detected in Chad between 2015 and 2019. The rates of patients aged 15 to 70 years and children under 15 years were 92.08% and 7.92% respectively. Sex ratio (M/F) was 1.68. The annual average detection rate was 2.6/100 000, with an average rate of multi-bacillary leprosy of 83.10% and degree 2 disability (2DD) of 20.38%. The average rate of degree 2 disability in children under 15 years of age was 0.92% . However, our study identified five districts as endemic (Adré, Abéché, Aboudeia, Koukou, et Bebedjia) in 2019, where the prevalence rate was above 1/10000 inhabitants.

CONCLUSION

epidemiological trends are in favor of the persistence of the disease and a delay in diagnosis and in the management of leprosy cases.

Leprosy and cutaneous leishmaniasis affecting the same individuals: A retrospective cohort analysis in a hyperendemic area in Brazil

Background

Leprosy and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affecting the skin. Their control is challenging but the integration of skin NTDs control programs is recommended to improve timely detection and treatment. However, little is known about the occurrence of leprosy and CL in the same individuals, and what are the characteristics of such patients. This study aimed to identify and characterize patients diagnosed with both leprosy and CL (i.e., outcome) in the hyperendemic state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Also, we investigated the demographic risk factors associated with the period between the diagnosis of both diseases.

Methodology/principal findings

A retrospective cohort study was conducted with patients diagnosed between 2008 and 2017. From the leprosy (n = 28,204) and CL (n = 24,771) databases of the national reporting system, 414 (0.8%; 414/52,561) patients presenting both diseases were identified through a probabilistic linkage procedure. This observed number was much higher than the number of patients that would be expected by chance alone (n = 22). The spatial distribution of patients presenting the outcome was concentrated in the North and Northeast mesoregions of the state. Through survival analysis, we detected that the probability of a patient developing both diseases increased over time from 0.2% in the first year to 1.0% within seven years. Further, using a Cox model we identified male sex (HR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.7–2.9) and low schooling level (HR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.2–1.9) as positively associated with the outcome. Furthermore, the hazard of developing the outcome was higher among individuals aged 40–55 years.

Conclusions/significance

Leprosy and CL are affecting the same individuals in the area. Integration of control policies for both diseases will help to efficiently cover such patients. Measures should be focused on timely diagnosis by following-up patients diagnosed with CL, active case detection, and training of health professionals.

Leprosy and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that usually affect poor populations in the same geographical areas. Both affect the skin and can cause physical disability and disfigurement resulting in discrimination. Both diseases occur at hyperendemic levels in several regions of Brazil. The integration of skin NTDs control programs may be a way to improve timely detection and treatment. However, little is known about the occurrence of leprosy and CL in the same individuals, and what are the characteristics of these patients. For the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, we identified 414 patients diagnosed with leprosy and CL between 2008 and 2017, spatially concentrated mainly in the North and Northeast mesoregions. The individual probability of developing both diseases increased from 0.2% to 1.0% within seven years. Male sex, being in the 40–55 years age group, and low levels of schooling were the risk factors positively associated with the time interval between the diagnosis of both diseases. These findings may inform the implementation of integrated leprosy and CL control policies focused on timely diagnosis. A sustainable integration requires continuous measures, such as the follow-up of patients, active case detection, training of health professionals, besides financial and political support.