The hidden prevalence of leprosy: a comparative study between two Brazilian cities

摘要

OBJECTIVE: We compared the hidden prevalence of leprosy in two Brazilian cities with distinct differences regarding geographic region and socio-economic development profile, namely, Juazeiro, Bahia and Joinville, Santa Catarina. METHODS: A retrospective epidemiological study based on secondary data obtained from leprosy case notifications in the cities of Juazeiro-BA and Joinville-SC, 2007-2017. To calculate hidden prevalence, we used the method proposed by Gil Suárez and Lombardi. RESULTS: Joinville had 105 cases of leprosy that went undiagnosed (addition of 42.0% to the registered prevalence). For Juazeiro, it was estimated that 295 cases went undiagnosed (addition of 18.9%). CONCLUSION: Joinville presents a higher hidden prevalence than Juazeiro.