TY - JOUR
KW - Adolescent
KW - Adult
KW - Age Distribution
KW - Antibodies, Bacterial
KW - Asia
KW - Child
KW - Child, Preschool
KW - Endemic Diseases
KW - Humans
KW - leprosy
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Mycobacterium leprae
KW - Prevalence
KW - Seroepidemiologic Studies
AU - Izumi S
AU - Budiawan T
AU - Matsuoka M
AU - Saeki K
AU - Kawatsu K
AB - <p>One of the most important unsolved problems in epidemiology of leprosy is the heterogeneous geographic distribution of the disease. There are highly endemic area called "Pocket" in the endemic countries. Little is known why leprosy is so endemic in the area. We conducted, therefore, an epidemiological study on M. leprae infection and distribution of leprosy bacilli in the environment by using serological and molecular biological techniques. It was found that considerable number of general inhabitants in the pocket are infected with leprosy bacilli and more than 20% of the villagers are carrying M. leprae on the surface of the nasal cavity; suggesting that leprosy bacilli in the residential environment play an important role in high prevalence of leprosy in the endemic area. New preventive measures such as chemoprophylaxis, in addition to MDT, will be needed for global elimination of the disease.</p>
BT - Nihon Hansenbyo Gakkai zasshi = Japanese journal of leprosy : official organ of the Japanese Leprosy Association
C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10028831?dopt=Abstract
DA - 1998 Nov
IS - 3
J2 - Nihon Hansenbyo Gakkai Zasshi
LA - jpn
N2 - <p>One of the most important unsolved problems in epidemiology of leprosy is the heterogeneous geographic distribution of the disease. There are highly endemic area called "Pocket" in the endemic countries. Little is known why leprosy is so endemic in the area. We conducted, therefore, an epidemiological study on M. leprae infection and distribution of leprosy bacilli in the environment by using serological and molecular biological techniques. It was found that considerable number of general inhabitants in the pocket are infected with leprosy bacilli and more than 20% of the villagers are carrying M. leprae on the surface of the nasal cavity; suggesting that leprosy bacilli in the residential environment play an important role in high prevalence of leprosy in the endemic area. New preventive measures such as chemoprophylaxis, in addition to MDT, will be needed for global elimination of the disease.</p>
PY - 1998
SP - 401
EP - 8
T2 - Nihon Hansenbyo Gakkai zasshi = Japanese journal of leprosy : official organ of the Japanese Leprosy Association
TI - [Present situation of leprosy in highly endemic area of tropical Asia--a seroepidemiological study of Mycobacterium leprae infection in general inhabitants].
VL - 67
SN - 1342-3681
ER -