Viability of XXXX in the environment and its role in leprosy dissemination.

@entity1 @entity4430 @entity102 @entity1201
BACKGROUND: @entity1201 , a @entity102 caused by @entity4430 , is a public health concern in certain countries, including India. Although the prevalence of the disease has fallen drastically over time, new cases continue to occur at nearly the same rate in many regions. Several endemic pockets have been observed in India and elsewhere. The precise dynamics of @entity1201 transmission are still not clearly understood. Both live bacilli as well as @entity4430 DNA have been detected in the soil and water of endemic areas; they possibly play an important role in disease transmission. AIMS: To study the occurrence of viable @entity4430 in environmental samples collected from areas of residence of @entity1 with active @entity1201 . METHODS: The study was conducted on 169 newly diagnosed @entity1201 @entity1 in Ghatampur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Soil and water samples were collected from their areas of residence using a standardized protocol. An equal number of soil and water samples were also collected from non- @entity1 areas of the same or adjoining villages. The environmental samples collected from the @entity1 surroundings were subjected to 16S ribosomal RNA gene analysis after obtaining informed consent. RESULTS: About a quarter of the environmental samples collected from @entity1 areas, (25.4% of soil samples and 24.2% of water samples) were found to be positive for specific 16S ribosomal RNA genes of @entity4430 . Environmental samples collected from non- @entity1 areas were all found negative for @entity4430 16S ribosomal RNA genes. LIMITATIONS: The major limitation of the study was that the sample size was small. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated the presence of viable strains of @entity4430 in skin smear samples of paucibacillary @entity1 and multibacillary @entity1 , as well as in the environmental samples obtained from around their houses. This could play an important role in the continued transmission of @entity1201 .
