Epidemiological study of leprosy in Malwani suburb of Bombay

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken to study epidemiology of leprosy in Malwani, a western suburb of Bombay, which has a population of 63,321. A total of 691 cases were detected in a 4-year follow-up period between April 1979 and April 1983. The prevalence rate in schoolchildren was 13.88% and the peak incidence occurred in the age group 10-19 years. In this study, the females predominated the males with the male to female ratio being 1:1.33. The disease was found to be more prevalent in the low socioeconomic group and in overcrowded families. Extremities were most commonly affected. A large number of cases occurred in contacts of infectious lepromatous patients. The exact reasons for this could not be ascertained from this rather small sample. It could be related to droplet infections or skin contact.