ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2018
Minimum requirements and optimal testing strategies of a diagnostic test for leprosy as a tool towards zero transmission: A modeling study.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- Measuring endemicity and burden of leprosy across countries and regions: A systematic review and Delphi survey.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2021Pooled it
- The Epidemiological Impact of Community-Based Skin Camps on Leprosy Control in East Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia: a Modelling Study.Journal of epidemiology and global health · 2025Article
- Potential Impact of a Diagnostic Test for Detecting Prepatent Guinea Worm Infections in Dogs.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2024Article
- The landscape of chemokine and cytokine is associated with the distinct clinical status of leprosy patients and their respective household contacts.Frontiers in immunology · 2024Article
- Modelling morbidity for neglected tropical diseases: the long and winding road from cumulative exposure to long-term pathology.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2023Review
- Serum Interleukin 6 Level and Nutrition Status as Potential Predictors of Clinical Leprosy Development Among Household Contacts in Endemic Areas.Open forum infectious diseases · 2022Article
- Guiding policy towards zero leprosy: Challenges for modelling & economic evaluation.The Indian journal of medical research · 2022Article
- The long-term impact of the Leprosy Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (LPEP) program on leprosy incidence: A modelling study.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2021Article
- Article
- Functional biomarker signatures of circulating T-cells and its association with distinct clinical status of leprosy patients and their respective household contacts.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2020Article
- A comprehensive research agenda for zero leprosy.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2020Article
- Quantitative PCR for leprosy diagnosis and monitoring in household contacts: A follow-up study, 2011-2018.Scientific reports · 2019Article
- Detection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA in soil: multiple needles in the haystack.Scientific reports · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe availability of a diagnostic test to detect subclinical leprosy cases is crucial to interrupt the transmission of M. leprae. In this study we assessed the minimum sensitivity level of such a (hypothetical) diagnostic test and the optimal testing strategy in order to effectively reduce the new case detection rate (NCDR) of leprosy. METHODS AND
findingsWe used the individual-based model SIMCOLEP, and based it on previous quantification using COLEP data, a cohort study of leprosy cases in Bangladesh. The baseline consisted of treatment with Multidrug therapy of clinically diagnosed leprosy cases, passive case detection and household contact tracing. We examined the use of a leprosy diagnostic test for subclinical leprosy in four strategies: testing in 1) household contacts, 2) household contacts with a 3-year follow-up, 3) a population survey with coverage 50%, and 4) a population survey (100%). For each strategy, we varied the test sensitivity between 50% and 100%. All analyses were conducted for a high, medium, and low (i.e. 25, 5 and 1 per 100,000) endemic setting over a period of 50 years. In all strategies, the use of a diagnostic test further reduces the NCDR of leprosy compared to the no test strategy. A substantial reduction could already be achieved at a test sensitivity as low as 50%. In a high endemic setting, a NCDR of 10 per 100,000 could be reached within 8-10 years in household contact testing, and 2-6 years in a population testing. Testing in a population survey could also yield the highest number of prevented new cases, but requires a large number needed to test and treat. In contrast, household contact testing has a smaller impact on the NCDR but requires a substantially lower number needed to test and treat.
conclusionsA diagnostic test for subclinical leprosy with a sensitivity of at least 50% could substantially reduce M. leprae transmission. To effectively reduce NCDR in the short run, a population survey is preferred over household contact tracing. However, this is only favorable in high endemic settings.
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