Retrospective Analysis of Leprosy: the Last Five Year Trend at all Africa Leprosy and Tuberculosis Research and Rehablitation Center Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Date
2019-08-08
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Leprosy (Hansen’s disease) is chronic progressive bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It primarily affects the nerves of the extremities, the skin, the lining of the nose, and the upper respiratory tract. Leprosy produces skin sores, nerve damage, and muscle weakness. If it isn’t treated, it can cause severe disfigurement and significant disability. Hansen’s discovery of Mycobacterium leprae proved that leprosy was caused by a germ, and was thus not hereditary, from a curse, or from a sin. Researchers suggest that M. leprae are spread person to person by nasal secretions or droplets. However, the disease is not highly contagious like the flu. They speculate that infected droplets reach other peoples' nasal passages. The incubation period of M. leprae ranges from 9 months to 20 years. The main objective of this study was to investigate the overall trends of leprosy at ALERT center in the past 5 years from 2015- 2019. The sample size for this study was all medical records of leprosy patients in the registry unit of the hospital between 2015 and 2019. A cross sectional retrospective medical record review was used to gather the data from September 2, 2015 to April 5, 2019.The data was analyzed by using SPSS statistical package version 25 software. Using descriptive statistics such as chi-square test and p-value <0.05 statistical tests were considered to test a certain association between disability and clinical characteristics. In addition to these, prevalence rate and case detection rates were expressed by using percentage. From 1510 leprosy cases, 994(53.6%) were males and 516(46.4%) were females. Majority 1017(67.4%) ware in the age group 16-45 years old followed by 412(27.3%) and 81(5.4%) in the age group > 45 and <=15 years old respectively. Out of these patients, 810(53.6%) were new leprosy cases and 700(46.4%) were other cases of leprosy. From 994 male leprosy patients, 275(27.7%) leprosy patients had disability grade-I and 237(23.8%) leprosy patients had disability grade-II. Whereas, from 516 female leprosy patients, 140(27.1%) had disability grade-I and 130(25.2%) patients had disability grade-II. Leprosy elimination efforts at ALERT center were showed a significant decline in prevalence between 2015 and 2019. The highest prevalence rate was 0.075/ 10,000 population and the lowest prevalence rate was 0.012/10,000 population in the year 2015 and 2019 respectively. This study indicates that a significant under control activities and services of leprosy in Ethiopia. Poor conditions such as inadequate bedding, contaminated water, insufficient diet, bad housing are leading to poor immune system and acquiring M. leprae. So that these and other related problems will alleviated to control the endemicity of leprosy.
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Keywords
Leprosy, Disability, Prevalence, Multibacillary, Paucibacillary