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Introduction: Leprosy, an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, remains a public health concern in endemic countries, particularly in Brazil. In this study, we conducted an active surveillance campaign in the hyperendemic city of Castanhal in the northeastern part of the state of Pará using clinical signs and symptoms combined with serological and molecular tools to diagnose new cases and to identify drug resistance of circulating M. leprae strains and their distribution in the community. Methods: During an active surveillance of one week, we enrolled 318 individuals using three different strategies to enroll subjects for this study: (i) an active survey of previously treated cases from 2006 to 2016 found in the Brazil National Notifiable Disease Information System database (n = 23) and their healthy household contacts (HHC) (n = 57); (ii) an active survey of school children (SC) from two primary public schools in low-income neighborhoods (n = 178), followed by visits to the houses of these newly diagnosed SC (n = 7) to examine their HHC (n = 34) where we diagnosed additional new cases (n = 6); (iii) and those people who spontaneously presented themselves to our team or the local health center with clinical signs and/or symptoms of leprosy (n = 6) with subsequent follow-up of their HHC when the case was confirmed (n = 20) where we diagnosed two additional cases (n = 2). Individuals received a dermato-neurological examination, 5 ml of peripheral blood was collected to assess the anti-PGL-I titer by ELISA and intradermal earlobe skin scrapings were taken from HHC and cases for amplification of the M. leprae RLEP region by qPCR. Results: Anti-PGL-I positivity was highest in the new leprosy case group (52%) followed by the treated group (40.9%), HHC (40%) and lowest in SC (24.6%). RLEP qPCR from SSS was performed on 124 individuals, 22 in treated cases, 24 in newly diagnosed leprosy cases, and 78 in HHC. We detected 29.0% (36/124) positivity overall in this sample set. The positivity in treated cases was 31.8% (7/22), while in newly diagnosed leprosy cases the number of positives were higher, 45.8% (11/23) and lower in HHC at 23.7% (18/76). Whole genome sequencing of M. leprae from biopsies of three infected individuals from one extended family revealed a hypermutated M. leprae strain in an unusual case of primary drug resistance while the other two strains were drug sensitive. Discussion: This study represents the extent of leprosy in an active surveillance campaign during a single week in the city of Castanhal, a city that we have previously surveyed several times during the past ten years. Our results indicate the continuing high transmission of leprosy that includes fairly high rates of new cases detected in children indicating recent spread by multiple foci of infection in the community. An unusual case of a hypermutated M. leprae strain in a case of primary drug resistance was discovered. It also revealed a high hidden prevalence of overt disease and subclinical infection that remains a challenge for correct clinical diagnosis by signs and symptoms that may be aided using adjunct laboratory tests, such as RLEP qPCR and anti-PGL-I serology.
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Objetivos: analisar a frequência de sintomas depressivos em pacientes acometidos por Hanseníase em uma unidade de referência no estado do Pará, além de correlacionar a incidência de sintomas depressivos em pacientes acometidos por Hanseníase com o grau de limitação de atividades e com o grau de incapacidade física. Metodologia: estudo transversal, observacional e descritivo, com o uso da escala de depressão de Beck e do Screening of Activity Limitation and Safety Awareness (Triagem de Limitação de Atividade e Consciência de Risco), que levou em consideração os pacientes acometidos pela hanseníase que fazem acompanhamento na Unidade de Referencia Especializada Marcello Candia. A casuística foi composta por 104 pacientes, de ambos os sexos. Resultados: presença de sintomas depressivos em 66,3% dos pacientes analisados, considerando um total de 14,4% com sintomas graves. Em relação à limitação de atividade, 73% dos pesquisados apresentavam algum grau de limitação de atividade, sendo que maior parte apresentava grau leve de limitação. Discussão: Houve correlação significativa entre o grau de incapacidade e a limitação física pela escala, visto que os pacientes com Grau II de incapacidade apresentavam uma média superior na escala quando comparados a pacientes com Grau 0. Conclusões: Os dados obtidos nesta pesquisa contribuem para que haja uma preocupação para além da integridade física do paciente com hanseníase, sinalizando a necessidade de um cuidado psicossocial e integral, o que deve incluir o rastreio de sintomas depressivos, além de intervenções clinicas e psicoterápicas no combate à depressão.Objetivos: analisar a frequência de sintomas depressivos em pacientes acometidos por Hanseníase em uma unidade de referência no estado do Pará, além de correlacionar a incidência de sintomas depressivos em pacientes acometidos por Hanseníase com o grau de limitação de atividades e com o grau de incapacidade física. Metodologia: estudo transversal, observacional e descritivo, com o uso da escala de depressão de Beck e do Screening of Activity Limitation and Safety Awareness (Triagem de Limitação de Atividade e Consciência de Risco), que levou em consideração os pacientes acometidos pela hanseníase que fazem acompanhamento na Unidade de Referencia Especializada Marcello Candia. A casuística foi composta por 104 pacientes, de ambos os sexos. Resultados: presença de sintomas depressivos em 66,3% dos pacientes analisados, considerando um total de 14,4% com sintomas graves. Em relação à limitação de atividade, 73% dos pesquisados apresentavam algum grau de limitação de atividade, sendo que maior parte apresentava grau leve de limitação. Discussão: Houve correlação significativa entre o grau de incapacidade e a limitação física pela escala, visto que os pacientes com Grau II de incapacidade apresentavam uma média superior na escala quando comparados a pacientes com Grau 0. Conclusões: Os dados obtidos nesta pesquisa contribuem para que haja uma preocupação para além da integridade física do paciente com hanseníase, sinalizando a necessidade de um cuidado psicossocial e integral, o que deve incluir o rastreio de sintomas depressivos, além de intervenções clinicas e psicoterápicas no combate à depressão.
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In highly endemic areas, severe multibacillary forms of leprosy and reactional episodes are not rare in children. The objective of the present study was to describe the clinical and epidemiological aspects of leprosy reactions in children from the Brazilian Amazon. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of 34 leprosy patients aged under 15 years diagnosed at a health referral unit in northern Brazil between April 2014 and June 2015. Follow-up medical consultations were performed during multidrug therapy (MDT) and one year after the end of treatment. Participants underwent a simple neurologic examination and answered a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 34 recruited patients, 18 (52.9%) had leprosy reactions and/or neuritis. Among these, 10 (55.6%) had reactions at diagnosis, 13 (72.2%) had reactions after MDT, and 14 (77.8%) had two or more reactional episodes. Type I reactions occurred in 14 (77.8%) cases. Complications, such as disabilities, necrotizing erythema nodosum, or Cushing's syndrome, occurred in six (33.3%) patients. The following variables showed significant associations (p ≤ 0.05) with leprosy reactions: age 8-14 years, number of doctors seen (≥3), multibacillary classification, number of skin lesions (≥10), or borderline and lepromatous clinical forms. The high frequency of type I reactions resulted in prolonged corticosteroid therapy, which may cause deficient bone maturation in childhood. CONCLUSION: Older age in children, consulting many physicians for diagnosis, severe clinical forms, and numerous skin lesions were positively associated with reaction development. Reactions after MDT highlight the need for continuity in healthcare of children with leprosy.
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OBJECTIVE: To describe nerve damage and its association with clinical and epidemiologic characteristics in young patients with leprosy diagnosed in an endemic area of the Brazilian Amazon. STUDY DESIGN: All 45 patients with leprosy younger than 15 years of age and diagnosed at a health referral unit in northern Brazil were invited to participate in a cross-sectional, descriptive, analytical study. Subjects were submitted to a templated simple neurologic examination of the peripheral nerves and answered a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: Of 41 cases, referral was the mode of detection in 33 participants (80.5%); 19 (46.3%) had been seen by 3 or more physicians to obtain a diagnosis, and 26 (63.4%) had received other diagnoses. The interval between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis was more than 1 year in 30 cases (73.2%). Borderline leprosy was the predominant clinical form (48.8%); 63.4% of the participants had multibacillary leprosy, 31.7% had nerve damage, and 17.1% exhibited disabilities. The following variables showed a statistically significant association (P???.05) with nerve damage at diagnosis: home visit by the community health worker, number of doctors seen, number of skin lesions (>5), and lesions along the path of nerve trunks. CONCLUSION: Centralized healthcare, a low frequency of home visits by community health workers, and the difficulty in diagnosing leprosy in children are factors that contribute to late treatment initiation and an increased risk of peripheral nerve damage. In addition, multiple skin lesions and lesions along the path of nerve trunks require rigorous monitoring.