Case control study to determine the factors associated with leprosy in the sene district, brong ahafo region of ghana

Introduction: There are currently an estimated 10-12 million cases of leprosy in the world. In Sene District of the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana the prevalence of leprosy is 2.4/10,000 of the population. Most of these cases are children, indicating that new infections are still occurring in the communities.

Objectives: To identify factors associated with leprosy in the Sene District in order to implement an effective strategy to eliminate leprosy from the district.

Design: Case-control study.

Method: The cases were selected from a register of active leprosy cases. Controls were matched for age, and sex. For every one case identified two controls were selected.

Results: Of the twenty four cases identified, eighteen (75%) were paucibacillary and six (25%) were multibacillary leprosy. Most of the leprosy lesions were found on the trunk (25%) and upper limbs (37.5%). 13(54.2%) of the cases were under twenty years old. From the study, contact with someone with leprosy in the same house is associated with having leprosy. (OR -3.4 95%CI 1.09-10.8 p=0.017). Not having BCG vaccination is associated with having leprosy (OR 11 95%CI 2.12-76.17)p=0.0005).

Conclusion: The findings confirm that close contact with a patient with leprosy facilitates transmission of M. leprae. To reduce leprosy in the Sene District there is the need to increase BCG vaccination coverage in children and ensure that all contacts of cases are thoroughly screened for the disease and treated. Health workers in the district need to be trained to identify leprosy lesions.