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State sees rise in leprosy cases in last 3 years: Health department data
TIWN

AGARTALA, July 19 (TIWN): With the prevalence rate of leprosy steadily increasing in the state, the data shared by Health and Family Welfare Department shows that the disease is still thriving in the state. Till date, as many as 43 leprosy patients are suffering from PB (paucibacillary leprosy). In 2012-13, a total of 23 leprosy cases were reported. It increased to 37 in 2013- 14.

The centre has released Rs 24.70 lakh money for financial year 2012 -13 and  7.49 lakh for financial year 2013 -14. Even after getting money regularly from centre, the state government failed to completely eradicate leprosy from the state.

 As per Dr J.K. Debbarma,Director of Health and Family Welfare Department  “Leprosy has an incubation period (time interval of getting the infection to onset of symptoms) ranging from few weeks to about 20 years. Further, the health department has been doing door-to-door surveys to detect leprosy patients”.

 “Though treatment is freely available, the stigma attached to the disease stops patients from coming forward. Hence, we are planning to conduct surveys in all high endemic areas of the state” he stated.

 Disease Background Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease which mainly affects the skin, peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and also the eyes. It is caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. The disease is not contagious, and only spreads if a person comes into close and repeated contact with nose and mouth droplets of an infected person.

Leprosy is believed to be one of the oldest recorded diseases, with references dating back to Biblical times and medical evidence from skeletons indicating it originated in India in around 2000 BC. Even today India accounts for more than half the world's leprosy cases.

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