This is the study about the age of onset in leprosy.
Data:
A. Time period studied
Incident rates in young people, below 10 years old age group, are as shown below:
In 1930‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥10.2% and in 1970‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥3.4%
Incident rates in the 25 years ana below age group and the 26 to 70 years old age
group are as shown below:
Below 25 years 26∼70 years
Before 1960 63∼77% 40.7%
1960∼1970 19.4% 42.9%
B. Area studied
Incident rates in recent years show their peak in certain age groups as shown below:
Central area‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥·16-20 age group
Youngnam area‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥21-25 age group
Honam area ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥26∼30 age group
Comments:
Age distributions of onset of the disease are influenced differently by the time period
studied and/or by an area.
The age group with the highest incidence before 1960 is the below 20 years old age
group, and a downward slope has taken place to the year 1970.
This is showing a tendency towards declination of endemicity of leprosy similar to
USA and Japan.
Previously, many leprologists reported that the young people in the below 20 age
group had more susceptibility to leprosy, but I would like to state that the susceptibility
is not specific of any age group and leprosy can occur in any age group.
When excellent leprosy control activities have teen carried out, the age of onset of
leprosy has declined from the younger age group to the elder age group.
The above study shows the current tendency of leprosy, and Korea is close to solving
the problem in the near future.
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