Rocio Ivette Lopez Roa | PubMed Health

PubMed2006

Genotypic analysis of Mycobacterium leprae isolates from Japan and other Asian countries reveals a global transmission pattern of leprosy.

The genotype of single-nucleotide polymorphism type 3, CTC, at positions 14676, 164275, and 2935685, along with four copies of 6 bp repeats in the rpoT gene, was predominant for isolates originating in the Japanese mainland. Type 1, CGA, type 2, CTA, and type 3 were detected from Korea, Indonesia, and Myanmar. No isolates with four copies of 6 bp were detected from Myanmar, Okinawa, and Japanese Brazilian patients. Type 4, TTC, with three copies of 6 bp, was detected only from Japanese Brazilians. The results indicate that infection occurred in Brazil and the disease developed later in Japan.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Leprosy in Mexico.

The time of the settlement of leprosy in Mexico is uncertain, however recent studies pointed out that leprosy was probably brought by Asian's migration at about 12,000 years ago and not by the Europeans conquerors during XVI and XVII centuries. Registration of leprosy has been done since the colonial era and the disease was considered as a public health problem until the year 2004 in Mexico when the incidence was achieved to be less than 1 per 10,000 as defined by the world health organization (WHO). Although the national epidemiological parameters like prevalence show the leprosy are controlled well, there are still 49 prefectures with higher prevalence in Mexico. In addition, the incidence in last 10 years has not been stably reduced, in other words the infection cycle has not been interrupted. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the careful epidemiological monitoring, and to increase the search and follow-up of new cases and their contacts in order to eliminate leprosy in this country.

Communicable Disease Control↗