The spatial distribution of leprosy cases during 15 years of a leprosy control program in Bangladesh: an observational study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

An uneven spatial distribution of leprosy can be caused by the influence of geography on the distribution of risk factors over the area, or by population characteristics that are heterogeneously distributed over the area. We studied the distribution of leprosy cases detected by a control program to identify spatial and spatio-temporal patterns of occurrence and to search for environmental risk factors for leprosy.

Methods

The houses of 11,060 leprosy cases registered in the control area during a 15-year period (1989-2003) were traced back, added to a geographic database (GIS), and plotted on digital maps. We looked for clusters of cases in space and time. Furthermore, relationships with the proximity to geographic features, such as town center, roads, rivers, and

SUBMITTER: Fischer E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2564934 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature