01550nas a2200229   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653001600054653001500070653002600085653002400111653002900135100001400164700001200178700001200190700001000202245007300212856005800285490000700343520095600350022001401306       2022                            d  c07/202210aDermatology10aDisability10ainfection (neurology)10aInfectious Diseases10aPeripheral nerve disease1 aTaggart M1 aKelly A1 aStell R1 aChu E00aMultibacillary leprosy with an incubation period exceeding 50 years.  uhttps://casereports.bmj.com/content/15/7/e250835.long0 v153 a<p>Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous infection predominantly involving the skin and peripheral nervous system. The condition is caused by infection with the obligate intracellular bacillus and the clinical phenotype is largely dependent on the host immune response to the organism. Transmission is suspected to occur via respiratory secretions with infection usually requiring prolonged periods of contact. The incubation period is highly variable with disease manifestations appearing up to several decades after the initial exposure. The disease can be broadly divided into 'paucibacillary' and 'multibacillary', and treatment with multidrug therapy including dapsone, clofazimine and rifampicin offers high rates of cure. Here, we report of a case of leprosy with a suspected incubation period in excess of 50 years following occupational exposure in rural Australia. To our knowledge, this incubation period is the longest reported to date.</p>
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