AUTHOR=Sharma Mukul , Singh Pushpendra 

TITLE=Advances in the Diagnosis of Leprosy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Tropical Diseases

VOLUME=Volume 3 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/tropical-diseases/articles/10.3389/fitd.2022.893653

DOI=10.3389/fitd.2022.893653

ISSN=2673-7515

ABSTRACT=Leprosy is a public health issue, and early detection is critical to avert disability. Despite the global attempt to eradicate this disease as a public health problem, countries like India, Brazil and Indonesia shares more than 70% of the cases. The reduction of new cases is a priority in the WHO global strategy 2021-2030, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis, which aims to reduce disease transmission in the community by correctly diagnosing cases with suspicion of the disease and identifying subclinical infection. The clinical manifestations of leprosy range from a few to several lesions. The identification remains difficult due to the limited sensitivity of traditional approaches based on bacillary counts of skin smears and histology. To aid in the diagnosis of this condition, molecular biology, and biotechnological technologies have been applied, each with its own set of benefits and downsides despite providing an essential tool to validate the clinical diagnosis of leprosy. In view of this, it is strongly recognized that specific, inexpensive point of care technologies should be developed, in particular with a view to identifying asymptomatic M. leprae infections or leprosy nearer to the suspected cases seeking medical attention.  Thus, this review will provide an overview of the advancements in leprosy diagnosis over the world. The purpose of this review is to improve our understanding of the outcomes of current tests and technologies used in leprosy diagnosis and to emphasize critical aspects concerning the detection of leprosy bacilli.