Epidemiology of leprosy

Abstract

The major shortcoming in the epidemiology of leprosy is our continuing inability to identify leprosy infection. The only endpoint for epidemiological studies is still the disease with its clinical manifestations. This is obviously a most frustrating situation. The disease can manifest itself many years after infection. Every infection is not going to produce overt disease, and it is likely that a very small proportion does. Only the identification of infection in time could permit the study of those determinants which could explain transmission: who, when, where and under what circumstances? This requires that appropriate diagnostic tools such as specific skin tests of infection or serological reactions can be developed.