Epidemiologic profile of the leprosy of the city of Teresina, in the period of 2001-2008

BACKGROUND: Leprosy is an infectious disease that can lead to functional and physical disability. It is a major public health problem in some regions, requiring knowledge of its epidemiological variations so that strategies for disease control can be subsidized. OBJECTIVE - To describe the epidemiological profile of the city of Teresina from 2001 to 2008. Methods - Data on leprosy in the city of Teresina from 2001 to 2008, which were present on the official database of the Information System for Notifiable Diseases of the City Health Foundation, were analyzed. RESULTS - The data show an average detection rate of new cases of 96.21 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Among those younger than 15, there was a peak of 40 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2003. Grade 2 disability evaluated at diagnosis ranged from 5 to 7% and at discharge from 2.77 to 0.14%. Prevalence is high, varying from 8 to 11 cases per 10,000 inhabitants. Regarding clinical form, there is a predominance of forms I with 30% of the cases and D with 28% of the cases at the end of the series; and in relation to operational classification, the average is 62% of paucibacillary cases and 37.86% of multibacillary cases. Among the reported cases, there is a slight predominance of females at the end of the series. CONCLUSION - Leprosy is hyperendemic in Teresina and it can lead people at working age to inactivity.