Ending Leprosy Transmission

Despite substantial reduction in prevalence over the past decades, leprosy remains endemic in over 120 countries. Approximately 200,000 new cases of leprosy still occur every year as diagnosis is difficult and often delayed. In an article published on July 7, 2017 in the Lancet Infectious Diseases, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) and its partners reviewed innovative tools and approaches to help end leprosy transmission. Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae . The disease mainly affects peripheral nerves and the skin and if left untreated, it can lead to loss of sensation and result in serious disabilities. Still today, little is known about the specific transmission of leprosy, and the disease can only be diagnosed symptomatically. While the free and widespread availability of multi-drug therapy (MDT) has helped reduce the prevalence of leprosy by 99% over the past decades, the number of new cases diagnosed annually has plateaued at around 200,000 in the last ten years.