Objective: To understand the characteristics of newly detected leprosy patients at low endemic situation in China in order to provide information for better leprosy control.
Methods: A study was carried out using a designed questionnaire in a retrospective method in China in 2007.
Results: Among 1462 new patients studied, the average age at diagnosis was 41.5 +/- 15.8 years. Nearly half of new patients were detected by a passive method at the skin clinic. This might relate to a long delay between disease onset and diagnosis (3.23 +/- 45 years) as well as a high rate of disability Grade 2 among new patients (22.6%). There were 363 (24.8%) patients who came from non-leprosy endemic areas, 844 (57.7%) patients who came from non-leprosy families and 409 (28.0%) patients who came from villages where leprosy outbreaks had never occurred before.
Conclusion: Case finding within low endemic areas of China is a big challenge in leprosy control. Maintaining sustainable leprosy control and strengthening leprosy training among dermatologists may be the important strategy in the future.