Recent food shortage is associated with leprosy disease in Bangladesh: a case-control study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Leprosy is remaining prevalent in the poorest areas of the world. Intensive control programmes with multidrug therapy (MDT) reduced the number of registered cases in these areas, but transmission of Mycobacterium leprae continues in most endemic countries. Socio-economic circumstances are considered to be a major determinant, but uncertainty exists regarding the association between leprosy and poverty. We assessed the association between different socio-economic factors and the risk of acquiring clinical signs of leprosy.

Methods and findings

We performed a case-control study in two leprosy endemic districts in northwest Bangladesh. Using interviews with structured questionnaires we compared the socio-economic circumstances of recently diagnosed leprosy patients w

SUBMITTER: Feenstra SG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3091833 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature