Epidemiological Profile and Contact Patterns of Leprosy in Children Under 15 Years: A Verified Pediatric Evidence Synthesis
Main Article Content
Leprosy in children under 15 years remains an important epidemiological indicator because it reflects ongoing transmission, delayed diagnosis, or persistent exposure within communities. Understanding pediatric case profiles and contact patterns is essential for strengthening surveillance and early detection strategies. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological profile of pediatric leprosy cases and identify reported contact patterns among children younger than 15 years in an urban Brazilian setting, including age distribution, sex, operational classification, and household or social contact categories. The study employed a verified pediatric evidence synthesis using a publicly accessible full-text study from Salvador, Brazil. Data were extracted from registered pediatric leprosy cases during 2007–2011, focusing on demographic characteristics, clinical classification, and reported exposure categories. The analysis used descriptive frequencies and percentages because the source study did not include a non-case comparison group. Among 145 registered pediatric cases, 76 children were interviewed. Household contact was reported by 52.6% of children, social contact by 25.0%, combined contact by 5.2%, and unknown or no contact by 17.1%. Most cases occurred among children aged 10–14 years (59.3%), while paucibacillary disease represented 60.7% of cases and multibacillary disease 39.3%. The findings highlight the importance of integrated pediatric leprosy surveillance that includes household examination, attention to social and neighborhood exposure, and active case detection. However, the results should be interpreted as descriptive evidence because causal relationships and comparative risks require studies with appropriate control groups.
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