This study is an epidemiological investigation of the trends of leprosy of the last 10 years by age, sex, place of birth, present address, type of disease, onset age and duration of disease between the onset and the treatment. The study was conducted on 766 (550males, 216females) out-patients who visited the Chronic Disease Lab-oratory from January, 1965 to December, 1974. The importance of leprosy control in _ the urban area has been discussed.
The conclusions are as follows:
1. Average monthly registered numbers of new patients are 5.2 in A group of patients and 7.6 in B group of patient. The ratio of male to female is 2.7 and 2.4 respectively. By age groups, both male and female, the highest age group is 25 34 years. This age group comprised 41.3% of the 1965 1969 group (A group) of patients, and 34.7 % of the 19701974 group (B group) of patients. In the former group of patients, a significantly higher number of patient were under 35 years and in the latter group of patients, the patients of 35 years or more showed a significant increase. It can be concluded that rate of patients of 35 years of age or more is on the increase.
2. By geographical locations of birth, the number of patients from the southern part of korea where leprosy is widely prevalent was the largest. These comprised 59.3 % in the A group of patients and 16.0 % in the B group of patients, followed by 23.9 % and 23.7 % from the middle part of Korea for those periods. The northern part of Korea showed only 10.6 % and 11.7 % respectively. Meanwhile, by present addresses, the number of patients residing in the northern part was dominantly large, and 8O.3% of the "A group of patients and 79.8 % of the B group of patients were found to be living in the vicinity of Seoul.
3. Among the patients from the northera part, the increase of patients of L-type and B-group was remarkable. From this point of view, leprosy control policy for tLe neighbouring areas of large cities is urgent.
4, The onset age shows highest in the age bracket of 15~19years with 24.5% in the A group of patients, 20.0 % in the B group of patients. This is followed by the &V bracket of 20~21 years of age comprising 16.8% in the A group of patients, 18.4% in the B group of patients. A Comparative study of the peroid from the Omer of the disease to the beginning of the treatment, showed that patients of less than 5 years amounted 69.3 % in the A group of patients and 64.0 % in the B group of patients. Those of more than 10 years were 9.4 % in the A group of patients and 14.7% in the B group of patients.
5. The results of bacteriological examination showed a tendency to increase in the positive rate with 14.2 % in the A group of patients and 28.7 % in the B group of patients. This is attributable to the increase of patients of L-type and B-group.
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