Leprosy
mailing list – September 10th, 2006
Ref.: Opinion on new text book on leprosy.
From: Warren G., Sydney,
Australia
Dear Salvatore,
Sorry that you are having so
much trouble with your computer.
“To err is Human
to really foul thing up requires a computer!” I
am resending this in case it did not get through.
I feel quite strongly that it
is not worth wasting a lot of money on new books. Yes everyone
does not have access to computers but, the Yawalkar book provides such
excellent coloured illustrations that the rest could be printed B
& W sheets for e-mails, the web or to hand out where there are no
computers.
The letter from Dr C. Phaff,
from Nampula, Mozambique, is Ok but, I feel that if there is money,
spend it on practical management not expensive coloured illustrations!
I am seeing LL and BL type cases and even BB who
given the 12 doses MDT recommended by WHO (so the countries get
the drugs free) are still active after 12 doses. Then 1-2-3 years later
re-diagnosed as florid LL or BL cases!
With nerve damage! I am sure longer MDT would fix,
many more and prevent new infections. Also since WHO states the
patient must have skin lesions preferably with anaesthesia so a number
of S.E. Asians with pure primary neuritic leprosy have been turned
down! Also the early diffuse lepromatous cases with high
skin smear but no obvious lesion edge; they do not fit WHO criteria as
leprosy. They urgently
need treatment to stop transmission!
These are problems that need
to be rectified before we spend more cash on new fancy books. Yes, it
will cost more money. I
am getting sick of being told that leprosy is eliminated! I think it is funny Ha Ha- I
can find leprosy in every country of the world if I look for it but,
people are not looking for it as the WHO implies it is nearly
eliminated! People will
never diagnose what they are not looking for.
Grace Warren.
