01948nas a2200229   4500000000100000008004100001260002400042653005700066653001800123100001700141700001400158700001400172700001700186700001500203700001300218245012100231856006100352300001400413490000700427520125900434022002501693       2022                            d  bFapUNIFESP (SciELO)10aPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health10aHealth Policy1 aLinhares MSC1 aKerr LRFS1 aKendall C1 aAlmeida RLFD1 aKlovdahl A1 aFrota CC00aSpatial distribution pattern of new leprosy cases under 15 years of age and their contacts in Sobral, Ceará, Brazil  uhttps://www.scielosp.org/pdf/csc/2022.v27n4/1641-1652/en  a1641-16520 v273 a<p>Abstract This study’s objective was to analyze the spatial distribution pattern of new leprosy cases under 15 years and their contacts. A cross-sectional descriptive study covering sociodemographic characteristics and spatial analysis was carried out. The participants were from the city of Sobral, Ceará and the study was conducted between August 2014 and September 2015. Contacts were identified by the persons responsible for the children. Seropositivity was determined with the NDO-LID antigen, and positive cases were plotted on Voronoi polygons. Nine new cases of leprosy under 15 years of age have been found. The average number of people living with the cases was higher than the number of people living with non-household contacts. All household contacts were aware of other leprosy cases and had a higher rate of seropositive tests than non-household contacts. The index cases lived in the poorest regions of the municipality and hyper-endemic areas. Spatial analysis revealed a cluster of subclinical infection within a radius of 102 meters, suggesting that non-household transmission is related to proximity with seropositive individuals. In conclusion, the search for new leprosy cases cannot be restricted to household contacts.</p>
  a1678-4561, 1413-8123