Social, environmental, and epidemiological aspects of leprosy occurrence in children in a hyperendemic region of Brazil

Introduction

This is a case-control study aiming to analyze the predictive factors for the occurrence of leprosy in contacts under 15 years of age, considering aspects related to the socio-environmental and epidemiological conditions in a hyperendemic municipality.

Methods

Cases (n = 30) consisted of children with leprosy who were household contacts of adults notified with leprosy between 2016 and 2018. The controls (n = 128) comprised neighborhood contacts, without symptoms of leprosy, living within a radius of less than 100 m of the households with cases. Demographic, social, environmental, and epidemiological variables were analyzed. The software SPSS, version 20, was used. Odds Ratio and statistical significance level of p ≤ 0.05 were considered for association analysis. In the logistic regression analysis, the variables with results ≤20% were selected.

Results

After adjustments, the predictive variables for the occurrence of leprosy were age between 8 and 14 years (OR adjust = 4.5; 95% CI: 1.70; 12.18) and a family history of leprosy (OR adjust = 5.2; 95% CI: 1.95; 14.13).

Conclusions

The predictive factors studied may favor the occurrence of leprosy in those most vulnerable to this disease in the child population; strategies such as the use of immune chemoprophylaxis are recommended, especially in hyperendemic regions, such as the state of Mato Grosso.