02162nas a2200193 4500000000100000008004100001653001800042100001900060700001500079700001600094700001400110700001300124245008300137856005100220300001100271490000700282520166500289022001401954 2015 d10aTransmissions1 aMensah-Awere D1 aBratschi M1 aSteinmann P1 aFairley J1 aGillis T00aSymposium Report : Developing Strategies to Block the Transmission of Leprosy. uhttps://leprosyreview.org/article/86/2/19-0023 a156-640 v863 a

Editor's introduction:

Remarkable progress has been made in the treatment and management of leprosy over the last 60 years. Current control strategies rest on early detection of disease and appropriate multidrug therapy (MDT) to cure the patient and halt transmission within the community.

These strategies are built on a solid understanding of therapeutics for mycobacterial diseases but suffer from an incomplete understanding of transmission of Mycobacterium leprae and a shortage of tools that can truly diagnose leprosy at an early stage. Accordingly, transmission continues in many areas of the world.

To clarify the current state of our knowledge of M. leprae transmission and to establish a research agenda to address gaps in our understanding of transmission, an international symposium entitled “Developing Strategies to Block the Transmission of Leprosy” was organized and sponsored by effect:hope (The Leprosy Mission Canada) and held on May 29–30, 2014. The meeting was hosted by the National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF SYMPOSIUM:

The goal of the symposium was to establish a research agenda, aimed at bridging the gaps in our understanding of M. leprae transmission, which will complement a global research strategy focused on eliminating leprosy.

For a correction see [Lepr Rev (2015) 86, 3 (Sept). p. 301] : http://www.lepra.org.uk/platforms/lepra/files/lr/Sept15/Lep301-301.pdf 

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