Trends of Leprosy Over a Period of Four Years (2016-2019) at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Uttarakhand (India) and Comparison with Last Lustrum (2011-2015)

Leprosy ceased to be a public health problem in India in December 2005 when the prevalence rate fell below one per 10, 000 population at national level. However there still remain pockets of high endemicity with many hidden cases. These cases land up in complications including deformities and severe reactions and thus present to tertiary care centers. This study has been undertaken to analyze the pattern of leprosy over a period of four years (Jan 2016- Dec 2019) at a tertiary care center in capital city of Uttarakhand and to compare it with the previously reported pattern of last lustrum (Jan 2011 - Dec 2015). This retrospective, observational study included all leprosy patients registered in Department of Dermatology at Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun over last four years were included. Data was extracted from the leprosy case registration forms and was analyzed for age, gender, domicile, type of leprosy, presence of reaction and grade of disability. A total of 206 new cases were registered in last four years. Forty percent of these were migrants. Highest number of patients was in age group 15-29 years. Childhood leprosy cases constituted 1.9% of total cases. Half of the patients were in borderline tuberculoid spectrum and 94.6% had multibacillary leprosy. Grade 2 disability was seen in 10.7% patients. Number of new leprosy cases presenting to our tertiary care center has remained steady. However, there is a significant increase in proportion of multibacillary cases from 86.3% in 2011- 2015 to 94.7% in 2016- 2019. This indicates that the drive to identify active cases in community needs to be accelerated.