Tuesday, January 8, 2019

(LML) Early detection is the critical part

Leprosy Mailing List – January 8,  2019
Ref.:  (LML) Early detection is the critical part 
From:  Wolfgang Hippke, Munchen, germany



Dear Dr. Schreuder,

Compared to any transmittable disease, Leprosy is in a bad situation:
1. We do not have a vaccine against Leprosy.
2. We only have estimations about the time of incubation.
3. We don't have any idea, from when, after infection, a person become infective for others. 
4. We don't know, who is infective.
5. We do not treat infect
ed, non-clinical patients, those without any clinical sign.

What we do is hunting skin patches and thicke
ned nerves. This is like treating lung cancer instead of struggling against inhaling tobacco smoke, like bloodletting instead of beta blocker.  In the chain from infection to disability, we do start late, very late.  In a way, ignoring early detection of Leprosy, is causing disability.  We are causing this, because we know better – or, at least, we should know.

Can we change this?  Maybe at #4 or #5?

Dr. Wolfgang Hippke
ex LEPRA-Moçambique


LML - S Deepak, B Naafs, S Noto and P Schreuder
Contact: Dr Pieter Schreuder << editorlml@gmail.com

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