Leprosy Accidentally Transmitted from a Patient to a Surgeon in a Nonendemic Area
Authors: Eike-Gert Achilles, Christian Hagel, Mathias Vierbuchen, Manfred Dietrich
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2004)

Letters3 August 2004Leprosy Accidentally Transmitted from a Patient to a Surgeon in a Nonendemic AreaEike-Gert Achilles, MD, Christian Hagel, MD, Mathias Vierbuchen, MD, and Manfred Dietrich, MDEike-Gert Achilles, MDFrom University of Hamburg, University Hospital Eppendorf, D-20246; General Hospital Sankt Georg, D-20099; and Bernhard-Nocht-Institute of Tropical Medicine, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany.Search for more papers by this author, Christian Hagel, MDFrom University of Hamburg, University Hospital Eppendorf, D-20246; General Hospital Sankt Georg, D-20099; and Bernhard-Nocht-Institute of Tropical Medicine, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany.Search for more papers by this author, Mathias Vierbuchen, MDFrom University of Hamburg, University Hospital Eppendorf, D-20246; General Hospital Sankt Georg, D-20099; and Bernhard-Nocht-Institute of Tropical Medicine, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany.Search for more papers by this author, and Manfred Dietrich, MDFrom University of Hamburg, University Hospital Eppendorf, D-20246; General Hospital Sankt Georg, D-20099; and Bernhard-Nocht-Institute of Tropical Medicine, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-141-3-200408030-00028-w1 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Background: Bloodborne pathogens are an occupational hazard for health care workers, especially surgeons. The risk posed by an accidental penetrating injury depends on the infectivity of the pathogen, its load in tissue or blood, and the immunologic status of the recipient.Objective: We present a rare case of documented patient-to-surgeon transmission of leprosy bacteria by invasive contact. This case emphasizes the need for increasing awareness and early treatment of leprosy in nonendemic areas.Case Report: Patient 1, a 52-year-old woman who had lived in India 20 years earlier, presented with a 7-year history of progressive, purely sensory ...References1. Pietrabissa A, Merigliano S, Montorsi M, Poggioli G, Stella M, Borzomati D, et al . Reducing the occupational risk of infections for the surgeon: multicentric national survey on more than 15,000 surgical procedures. World J Surg. 1997;21:573-8. [PMID: 9230652] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Marchoux E. Un cas d'inoculation accidentelle du bacille de Hansen en pays non lepreux. Int J Lepr. 1934;2:1-7. Google Scholar3. Ridley DS, Jopling WH. Classification of leprosy according to immunity. A five-group system. Int J Lepr Other Mycobact Dis. 1966;34:255-73. [PMID: 5950347] MedlineGoogle Scholar4. Huang CL. The transmission of leprosy in man. Int J Lepr Other Mycobact Dis. 1980;48:309-18. [PMID: 7002813] MedlineGoogle Scholar5. Lockwood DN, Reid AJ. The diagnosis of leprosy is delayed in the United Kingdom. QJM. 2001;94:207-12. [PMID: 11294963] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From University of Hamburg, University Hospital Eppendorf, D-20246; General Hospital Sankt Georg, D-20099; and Bernhard-Nocht-Institute of Tropical Medicine, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany.Acknowledgments: The authors thank Steven Pirie-Shepherd, PhD, and Rudolf Laas, MD, for carefully reviewing the manuscript. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byAutochthonous leprosy in Europe: a case report and literature reviewMycobacterium leprae transmission characteristics during the declining stages of leprosy incidence: A systematic reviewInoculable leprosyLEPROSY AND BURULI ULCER: THE MAJOR CUTANEOUS MYCOBACTERIOSES 3 August 2004Volume 141, Issue 3Page: W-51KeywordsBacteriaBiopsyHealth care providersLeprosyMycobacteriaNervesPathogensRespiratory systemSurgeonsTuberculosis ePublished: 3 August 2004 Issue Published: 3 August 2004 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2004 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...