TY - JOUR KW - World Health KW - leprosy KW - Humans KW - Disease eradication KW - Contact Tracing AU - Smith WC AU - Noordeen SK AU - Richardus JH AU - Sansarricq H AU - Cole S AU - Soares RC AU - Savioli L AU - Aerts A AU - Aertsh A AU - Baruaf S AB - Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae. The organism multiplies very slowly and the incubation period is more than 2 years. Symptoms, including lesions of the skin, peripheral nerves, limbs, and eyes, can cause severe disability and take up to 20 years or more to develop after onset of infection. The mode of transmission of M leprae remains uncertain but is widely believed to occur from person to person via respiratory droplets. Close contacts of patients are at the highest risk of infection. The disease, however, is curable and early treatment can prevent disability. Standard treatment is multidrug therapy, consisting of the combined administration of three antibiotics (rifampicin, clofazimine, and dapsone), or two (rifampicin and dapsone), depending on the bacillary load. BT - The Lancet. Infectious diseases C1 -

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24457165?dopt=Abstract

DA - 2014 Feb DO - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002845 IS - 2 J2 - Lancet Infect Dis LA - eng N2 - Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae. The organism multiplies very slowly and the incubation period is more than 2 years. Symptoms, including lesions of the skin, peripheral nerves, limbs, and eyes, can cause severe disability and take up to 20 years or more to develop after onset of infection. The mode of transmission of M leprae remains uncertain but is widely believed to occur from person to person via respiratory droplets. Close contacts of patients are at the highest risk of infection. The disease, however, is curable and early treatment can prevent disability. Standard treatment is multidrug therapy, consisting of the combined administration of three antibiotics (rifampicin, clofazimine, and dapsone), or two (rifampicin and dapsone), depending on the bacillary load. PY - 2014 SP - 96 EP - 8 T2 - The Lancet. Infectious diseases TI - A strategy to halt leprosy transmission. UR - http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laninf/PIIS1473-3099(13)70365-7.pdf VL - 14 SN - 1474-4457 ER -