Leprosy
Hansen’s Disease
Ketong
What is leprosy?
Leprosy is COMMUNICABLE
disease caused by
Mycobacteruim leprae by Dr.
Hansen in 1873
It mainly affects NERVES with
skin manifestations
It progresses SLOWLY with an
average incubation period of 3-
15 years
Leprosy can affect all ages and
both sexes
What is leprosy?
Leprosy can be CURED. Multi
It is NOT TRUE
Drug Therapy (MDT) kills the
that leprosy is
bacteria and stops the spread of
caused by evil
the disease.
spirits, eating
certain kinds of
Leprosy patients can lead foods, bathing in
completely NORMAL LIVES, the river, or
sudden exposure
If detected early and treated to hot or cold
with MDT, leprosy will NOT lead temperature
to disabilities (pasma)
TRANSMISSION
Transmission is mainly airborne.
Leprosy is an infectious
disease directly transmitted
from man to man.
It is acquired through
prolonged exposure.
It is transmitted from one
untreated person to another
via the respiratory tract.
SOURCES OF LEPROSY INFECTION
1. Untreated leprosy patients
2. Patients who do not take adequate treatment
regularly
These patients most probably transmit the
disease to susceptible individuals through
sneezing or coughing.
Children are considered more susceptible
than adults
How to diagnose leprosy?
Signs of leprosy
A leprosy patient is someone who:
Has a SKIN PATCH or patches with a definite LOSS OF
SENSATION; and has not completed a full course of
treatment with MDT
Leprosy patches
Can be pale or reddish or copper-colored
Can be flat or raised
Do not itch
Usually do not hurt
Lack of sensation to heat, touch, or pain
Can appear anywhere
Signs of leprosy
Pale or slightly reddish patch
(PATCH)
Definite loss of sensation in the patch
(ANESTHESIA)
Signs of damage to nerves
(NERVE DAMAGE)
definite loss of sensation in hands/feet
weakness of muscles of hands/feet/face
visible deformity of hands/feet/face
Diagnosis of leprosy
is mainly based on
clinical signs and symptoms.
i
Other signs of leprosy are:
Skin lesion(s) with a decrease or loss
of sweating and/or hair growth;
Other signs of leprosy are:
Skin lesion(s) with a decrease or loss
of sweating and/or hair growth;
Constant redness in the eyes from
irritation and dryness;
Other signs of leprosy are:
Skin lesion(s) with a decrease or loss
of sweating and/or hair growth;
Constant redness in the eyes from
irritation and dryness;
Loss of eyebrows and
eyelashes (madarosis);
Other signs of leprosy are:
Skin lesion(s) with a decrease or loss
of sweating and/or hair growth;
Constant redness in the eyes from
irritation and dryness;
Loss of eyebrows and
eyelashes (madarosis);
Nasal congestion / obstruction and
frequent nosebleed;
Other signs of leprosy are:
Collapse of nose bridge;
Other signs of leprosy are:
Collapse of nose bridge;
Enlargement of the breast in males
(gynecomastia);
Mobile or stiff clawing
of fingers and toes;
Other signs of leprosy are:
Collapse of nose bridge;
Enlargement of the breast in males
(gynecomastia);
Mobile or stiff clawing
of fingers and toes;
Chronic ulcers,
usually in the sole of
the foot, palm of the
hands and fingers.
Classification of leprosy
1. CLINICAL MANIFESTATION
ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF LESION(S)
3 TYPES:
1 patch is 2-5 patches is More than 5
Single Lesion Paucibacillary patches is
Paucibacillary (PB) leprosy Multibacillary
(SLPB) leprosy (MB) leprosy
Classification of leprosy
Based on:
2. SKIN-SMEAR RESULT
ANY PATIENT SHOWING A POSITIVE SKIN SMEAR,
IRRESPECTIVE OF THE CLINICAL CLASSIFICATION,
SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED MB AND TREATED WITH THE
MDT REGIMEN FOR MB LEPROSY.
How to EXAMINE a patient for leprosy?
• Ask about treatment received
Examine the skin in daylight or in the past
in a well-lit room
Examine the whole body,
• A person who has completed a full
taking care to respect the
course of MDT very rarely needs
patient’s privacy further treatment
Ask the patient if the patch • Look for any visible disability of
itches. If so, it cannot be leprosy eyes, face, hands, and feet
Test only one or two skin patches
• When in doubt about the diagnosis,
for sensory loss
always send the patient to the nearest
referral center
If there is a definite loss of
sensation, it is leprosy • If you suspect leprosy without sensory
loss or have any doubts, please refer.
How to test for Sensory Loss?
Take a pointed object such as
ballpen
Show the person what you are • Repeat the
going to do. procedure on
Lightly touch the skin with a pen normal skin and on
the same patch again
Ask the person to point to where
they felt the pen
Now ask them to close their eyes
• If the person feels
nothing on the skin
so that they cannot see what you
patch, it is leprosy
are doing
•
Lightly touch the center of the
• Start treatment
most prominent skin patch and ask
immediately
them to point to where they felt
the pen
Treating a case with MDT
Your help is what we need!
How can YOU help eliminate leprosy in
your community?
LOOK out for skin lesions during the routine activities
Diagnose leprosy and START MDT treatment immediately
Give Accompanied MDT to all patients who cannot visit the
health center regularly
ENCOURAGE patients to complete the full course of
treatment
Keep ADEQUATE stocks of MDT at the health center
How can YOU help eliminate leprosy
in your community?
INFORM the Community that :
Skin patches without sensation, which DO NOT ITCH, can
be leprosy
Treatment to cure leprosy is available FREE of charge at all
health center
The drugs STOP the spread of leprosy
EARLY treatment prevents disabilities
Patients who have completed treatment are CURED even if
they have deformities
Patients can lead perfectly NORMAL lives
How can YOU help eliminate leprosy
in your community?
Display posters about leprosy in public
places
Enlist the support of others
(community leaders, teachers, religious
authorities, and traditional practitioners )
to SPREAD POSITIVE MESSAGES
ABOUT LEPROSY
How can you help in the fight against
leprosy?
Recognize that ….
Leprosy is preventable
Leprosy is curable
Free treatment is available
Social discrimination has no place
Leprosy patients deserves respect and dignity
Offer support to the patient and their family,
