Epidemiology of Leprosy During the Period From 2010 to 2022 in Mansoura, Egypt

Abstract

: ABSTRACT Background: Leprosy is a chronic infection caused by acid-fast rod-shaped bacillus Mycobacterium leprae. It mostly affects the skin and peripheral nerves, triggering a variety of cellular immunological reactions that may have long-term effects, including peripheral neuropathy. WHO categorizes leprosy into two groups: paucibacillary, which has five or less skin lesions, and multibacillary, which has six or more. The disease spectrum is closely correlated with the level of cellular immunity and bacterial load. Objectives: to estimate the annual case detection rate of leprosy in Mansoura dermatology and leprosy hospital, the proportion of lepromatous leprosy and tuberculoid leprosy cases and to assess epidemiological trends of leprosy before and after the start of COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt. Methods: A cross sectional study included 289 patients who were diagnosed and registered as newly detected leprotic patients at leprosy clinic in Mansoura dermatology and leprosy hospital during 2010 and 2022. Results: Annual case detection rate of leprosy in each year estimated by number of reported leprosy cases in relation to the population number in the governorate measured by the central agency for public mobilization and statistics in each year has decreased gradually from 2010 to 2022 with the highest annual case detection rate in 2010 and lowest in 2022. Annual case detection rate of leprosy has been decreased from 4.001/1 million in 2010 to 0.861 /1 million in 2022. Conclusions : The results of this retrospective analysis of leprosy data showed a decrease in the annual case detection rate of new leprotic patients through the study period (289 patients from 2010 to 2022) in comparison with the previous old studies in Egypt . During COVID pandemic, there was significant decrease in average number of recorded leprotic patients/ year, as well as annual case detection rate (0.99 /1 million) of leprosy when compared to their average number/year and annual case detection rate (4.46 /1 million) before COVID pandemic.