Social contact patterns and leprosy disease: a case-control study in Bangladesh

Epidemiology and Infection
Sabiena G FeenstraJan Hendrik Richardus

Abstract

Socioeconomic and culturally defined social contact patterns are expected to be an important determinant in the continuing transmission of Mycobacterium leprae in leprosy-endemic areas. In a case-control study in two districts in Bangladesh, we assessed the association between social contact patterns and the risk of acquiring clinical leprosy. Social contacts of 90 recently diagnosed patients were compared to those of 199 controls. Leprosy was associated with a more intensive social contact pattern in the home [odds ratio (OR) 1·09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·00-1·19, P = 0·043] and in the nearby neighbourhood (OR 1·07, 95% CI 1·03-1·11, P = 0·001). Although it is known that M. leprae spreads most easily within households of infected persons, in endemic areas social contacts within the neighbourhood, village or urban ward, also appear to be important for transmission. We advise that disease control measures in leprosy-endemic areas should not be limited to households, but include high-risk groups in the nearby neighbourhood of patients.

References

Aug 28, 1999·Leprosy Review·J H RichardusJ D Habbema
Sep 11, 1999·Nihon Hansenbyō Gakkai zasshi = Japanese journal of leprosy : official organ of the Japanese Leprosy Association·T Nagasawa
Nov 12, 2003·International Journal for Equity in Health·Tanja AJ HouwelingJohan P Mackenbach
Oct 27, 2005·Nihon Hansenbyō Gakkai zasshi = Japanese journal of leprosy : official organ of the Japanese Leprosy Association·Itsuki Nagato
Feb 16, 2008·BMC Public Health·Laura M Glass, Robert J Glass
Feb 28, 2008·PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases·Fake J MoetJan Hendrik Richardus
Mar 28, 2008·PLoS Medicine·Joël MossongW John Edmunds
Feb 21, 2009·Nihon Hansenbyō Gakkai zasshi = Japanese journal of leprosy : official organ of the Japanese Leprosy Association·Koichi SuzukiNorihisa Ishii
May 17, 2011·PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases·Sabiena G FeenstraJan Hendrik Richardus

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Citations

Feb 12, 2014·PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases·Josafá Gonçalves BarretoClaudio Guedes Salgado
Jan 17, 2016·Clinics in Dermatology·Pieter A M SchreuderJan Hendrik Richardus
Oct 13, 2015·Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology : the Official Journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America·Sara Eleny PachecoMarcelo Cordeiro-Santos
Nov 18, 2015·BMC Infectious Diseases·Josafá Gonçalves BarretoClaudio Guedes Salgado
Jul 10, 2018·PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases·Julia Moreira PescariniGerson Oliveira Penna
Jan 25, 2020·Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology·Aparna Palit, Hemanta Kumar Kar
Apr 16, 2020·JAMA Dermatology·Camila Silveira Silva TeixeiraRita de Cássia Ribeiro Silva
Apr 16, 2020·Revista brasileira de enfermagem·Rayssa Nogueira RodriguesFrancisco Carlos Félix Lana
Mar 17, 2021·PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases·Tie-Jun ShuiXiaohua Chen

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