The Persistence of Hansen’s Disease: A Five-Year Profile of High Bacillary Indices and Pediatric Cases from East Vidarbha region
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, remains a chronic infectious challenge caused by Mycobacterium leprae, primarily affecting the skin and peripheral nerves. Despite national elimination efforts, leprosy transmission persists in marginalized communities in India. This study aimed to determine the pattern, prevalence, and trends of slit-skin smear-positive leprosy cases in East Vidarbha region to assess postelimination challenges. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted at a tertiary care institution in Nagpur over a five-year period from January 2020 to February 2025. Clinical and bacteriological data from 239 slit-skin smear-positive cases, identified from 502 suspected individuals, were evaluated. Results: Males were predominantly affected, making up 64.9% of the cases with a male-to-female ratio of 1.8 to 1. The highest incidence occurred among individuals aged 41 to 50 years, representing 23.4% of the total. Additionally, children aged ≤ 10 years accounted for 5.0% of the cohort, which points to active community transmission. Multibacillary leprosy was responsible for 71.5% of the cases. Furthermore, 51.9% of the patients exhibited a high Bacillary Index of ≥ 5, while the highly infectious borderline lepromatous and lepromatous types made up 56.5% of all clinical presentations. The study also highlighted a significant surge in cases during 2023, representing 36.8% of the total, alongside a relapse or re-treatment rate of 20.9%. Conclusion: The high burden of multibacillary disease and pediatric cases confirms ongoing leprosy transmission in Central India. To achieve the goal of "Zero Leprosy," healthcare systems must urgently optimize early detection frameworks, integrate novel chemoprophylactic regimens and vaccines, and actively address socio-economic barriers to care
Institution: Indira Gandhi Government Medical College & Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7160239012