Trends of leprosy and multibacillary infection in the state of Georgia since the early 1900s.

Few investigations to date have analyzed the epidemiology of Hansen's disease (leprosy) in the United States, and in particular, if birth location is related to multibacillary versus paucibacillary leprosy. We collected data on 123 patients diagnosed with leprosy in Georgia from the National Hansen's Disease Program from 1923—January 2018. A logistic regression model was built to examine the relationship between country of origin (U.S.-born or immigrant) and the type of leprosy. While the model showed no significant relationship between country of origin and type of leprosy, being Asian or Pacific Islander was associated with a higher odds of multibacillary disease (aOR = 5.71; 95% CI: 1.25–26.29). Furthermore, since the early 1900s, we found an increasing trend of leprosy reports in Georgia among both domestic born and immigrant residents, despite the overall decrease in cases in the United States during the same time period. More research is therefore necessary to further evaluate risk for multibacillary leprosy in certain populations and to create targeted interventions and prevention strategies. Leprosy is often believed to not be an issue in many countries. However, the disease is still very much a problem globally, and in the past several decades has been on the rise in the United States. Frequently the disease is misdiagnosed several times before appropriately treated. Although newly diagnosed cases in the United States only remain around 160 every year, there is limited investigation of leprosy in the United States. As the concern over transmission from armadillos continues to rise, coupled with the increase in connectedness of the global population, it is important to be able to identify populations at higher risk for the more infectious form of leprosy, multibacillary leprosy, for targeted interventions. The researchers sought to investigate which populations are at higher risk for this more infectious form, while also describing the history of cases in the state of Georgia. By adding to the body of literature on leprosy in the United States, it is the hope that more research will be produced that provides a better understanding of the disease trends within the country, while also enabling more targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]