It is actually very rare to be observed in Chaaria,
although we can receive patients with signs of old, healed infection.
They normally present with absent toes
or/and fingers; another frequent feature is the lateral eyebrow loss or ‘madarosis’.
A good number of them are nearly blind due to previous eye involvement.
Many of them still complain of anesthesia
on the affected limbs.
We have now received a patient with an
active leprosy (I believe tuberculoid, paucybacillary leprosy).
He shows typical skin lesions (with anesthesia,
raised edges, lack of sweating and discoloration), and a clear nerve
induration.
The diagnosis has been confirmed with skin biopsy.
According to the WHO guidelines, the
patient has been put on multi-drug therapy (Rifampicin, Dapsone, Clofazimine).
We have accepted him, after he has been
referred to us from our Sisters in Gatunga Catholic Dispensary (Tharaka).
Apart from offering treatment and close
follow up of possible drug side effects, we are also on the watch for promptly identifying
and treating reactions and nerve damage.
We have already started counseling sessions
on adherence to treatment regimes, and on behaviors the patient will adopt to
prevent disability.
One of the reasons of leprosy being nearly eradicated
may be the widespread use of the BCG vaccine for TB. In fact there is a
substantial cross reactivity between the “bacille Calmette-Guerin” and
Mycobacterium Leprae, which has been exploited worldwide in attempts to develop
a vaccine against leprosy. The protection is not 100%, but according to many
studies can reach up to 56%.
Bro Dr Beppe Gaido
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