Trichy: A total of 59 new leprosy cases have been reported since April this year in Trichy and 11 cases of grade II deformity (G2D) in the last three years, making the district one of the 18 with relatively higher prevalence of the disease. The health department in the district had kickstarted the national leprosy eradication programme (NLEP) from October 2 and is set to hold a leprosy case detection campaign (LCDC) from October 22. It will also introduce preventive treatment of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for people with high risk of contracting the disease.Leprosy patients with visible impairments or deformity are categorised in G2D. Officials said the ultimate goal was to reduce the prevalence of G2D by less than one patient per million population. What is relieving is that no new case of G2D has been identified this year so far. Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium mycobacterium leprae.Both PEP and LCDC drives would be conducted as part of the year-long national programme of Sparsh leprosy elimination campaign (SLEC) under Union ministry of health and family welfare’s National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) which kickstarted on October 2. PEP is a preventive medical treatment usually started immediately after the exposure to a pathogen in order to prevent infection and development of the disease.“For the first time, we’ll be providing the antibiotic ‘rifampicin’ to all those who’re in contact with patients affected from leprosy,” Trichy deputy director in-charge (leprosy) Dr A Shanthi said. Leprosy is said to be transmitted via nasal secretions or droplets and abrasions in the skin of infected patients. The initial symptom of leprosy is formation of light-coloured or skin-red patches in the body, numbness in the hands, arms, feet and legs and muscle weakness. “If leprosy is identified early and the patient provided treatment as soon as possible, its progression to grade I (impaired sensation and no visible impairments) and grade II can be curbed,” the source said. A team comprising anganwadi workers, village health nurses, sector health nurses and other members of health department would be conducting LCDC across the houses in the district.He said that certain revenue blocks like Uppiliyapuram and Thuraiyur have repeatedly recorded large number of cases every year. The two blocks were out of 87 total blocks from across the state which were identified as high endemic for leprosy recently. A block is categorised as endemic if it has more than 10 new cases in a year per 1 lakh population. “The particular blocks will be focussed and intensified awareness and surveillance held there,” the source said. The second phase of LCDC would be conducted in January/ February and the third phase in June- July next year.

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