03165nas a2200445   4500000000100000008004100001260002300042653005700065653001200122653001300134653002500147653001700172653001300189653003600202100001100238700000900249700001100258700001700269700001000286700001200296700001000308700001100318700001200329700001100341700001100352700001100363700000900374700000900383700001100392700001100403700001100414700001100425700000900436245013200445856009200577300000900669490000700678520202000685022001402705       2024                            d  bFrontiers Media SA10aPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health10aLeprosy10aCovid-1910aMycobacterium leprae10aEpidemiology10aGenotype10astrain typing and  transmission1 aZhou J1 aWu Z1 aTong Y1 aChokkakula S1 aShi Y1 aJiang H1 aLiu J1 aWang D1 aZhang W1 aWang C1 aZhao T1 aYuan K1 aLi T1 aMa L1 aYang Q1 aWang S1 aHong F1 aWang H1 aLi J00aMolecular epidemiological characteristics of Mycobacterium leprae in highly endemic areas of China during the COVID-19 epidemic  uhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1148705/pdf?isPublishedV2=False  a1-100 v123 a<p><strong>Objectives:&nbsp;</strong>The present study analyzed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence and incidence of new leprosy cases, as well as the diversity, distribution, and temporal transmission of Mycobacterium leprae strains at the county level in leprae-endemic provinces in Southwest China.</p>

<p><strong>Methods:&nbsp;</strong>A total of 219 new leprosy cases during two periods, 2018–2019 and 2020–2021, were compared. We genetically characterized 83 clinical isolates of M. leprae in Guizhou using variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The obtained genetic profiles and cluster consequences of M. leprae were compared between the two periods.</p>

<p><strong>Results:&nbsp;</strong>There was an 18.97% decrease in the number of counties and districts reporting cases. Considering the initial months (January–March) of virus emergence, the number of new cases in 2021 increased by 167% compared to 2020. The number of patients with a delay of &gt;12 months before COVID-19 (63.56%) was significantly higher than that during COVID-19 (48.51%). Eighty-one clinical isolates (97.60%) were positive for all 17 VNTR types, whereas two (2.40%) clinical isolates were positive for 16 VNTR types. The (GTA)9, (TA)18, (TTC)21 and (TA)10 loci showed higher polymorphism than the other loci. The VNTR profile of these clinical isolates generated five clusters, among which the counties where the patients were located were adjacent or relatively close to each other. SNP typing revealed that all clinical isolates possessed the single SNP3K.</p>

<p><strong>Conclusion:&nbsp;</strong>COVID-19 may have a negative/imbalanced impact on the prevention and control measures of leprosy, which could be a considerable fact for official health departments. Isolates formed clusters among counties in Guizhou, indicating that the transmission chain remained during the epidemic and was less influenced by COVID-19 preventative policies.</p>
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