02140nas a2200241   4500000000100000008004100001260002400042653002400066653002700090653001700117100001600134700001400150700001400164700001400178700001300192700001300205700001500218245011100233856008000344490000700424520144200431022002501873       2023                            d  bFapUNIFESP (SciELO)10aInfectious Diseases10aMicrobiology (medical)10aParasitology1 aRibeiro GDC1 aLages DDS1 aLages ATC1 aSouza VBD1 aMarega A1 aLana FCF1 aRocha MODC00aProfile of the leprosy endemic in the district of Murrupula, Nampula, Mozambique: A population-based study  uhttps://www.scielo.br/j/rsbmt/a/w4LYzhfZKPYdSzLRzZSmjzs/?format=pdf&lang=en0 v563 a<p>Background: Leprosy is a neglected chronic infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae, that is curable. The magnitude of the disease and severity of the debilitation it causes renders leprosy a public health problem. This study aimed to analyze the endemic profile of leprosy in the Murrupula district and evaluate the socioeconomic, clinical, and serological profiles of leprosy contacts. Methods: A cross-sectional study of patients with leprosy diagnosed between 2013 and 2017 and their household and community contacts was conducted in Murrupula District, Nampula Province, Mozambique. Interviews, simplified dermatoneurological examinations, Mycobacterium leprae flow (ML Flow) tests, and Mitsuda tests were performed. Results: Most of the leprosy cases were multibacillary. The patients had some degree of physical disability. ML Flow positivity was more common in household contacts of the patients diagnosed with leprosy and in community individuals who spontaneously presented for testing. In total, 17 patients were diagnosed with leprosy. Conclusions: This study revealed an active chain of transmission, hidden prevalence, and operational deficiencies in leprosy surveillance and care. The results suggest that the implementation of a public health policy for leprosy prevention and control in Nampula Province is necessary. In future, the possibility of expanding the policy to the entire country should be considered</p>
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