EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON LEPROSY IN GIFU PREFECTURE
III. VITAL STATISTICS OF LEPROSY PATIENTS
1958 Volume 27 Issue 2 Pages 161-170
Details
1958 Volume 27 Issue 2 Pages 161-170
The vital statistics of leprosy patients in Gifu prefecture between 1936 and 1955 was studied. Besides the 292 patients reported in a previous paper, 43 patients have been added for a total of 335 (1.2 per 100, 000 per year). The rate of incidence is slightly higher than in the previous report but there were no significant alterations epidemiologically.
There wsa a total of 253 deaths, 244 from illness and 9 suicides and the death rate has has dropped sharply in recent years and is one-fourth that of the war years. Mortality was 2.4%. The rate of suicide was 3.8% and slightly higher than that of the general population. The deaths according to sex has altered since 1945 with a drop in male deaths so that there is no longer a marked difference between male and female deaths (1936-40-1:3.56, 1941-45-1:3.04, 1946-50-1:1.76, 1951-55-1:1.70).
The average age of death was 45.2 years and the there has been a rise of 11.7 years in the 20 year period but in 1951-55, it was male, 52.1 years and female, 58.3 years. This prolongation of life coincides with the increase in life span of the Japanese people in general except for effect of the suckling deaths.
There has been an increase of 335 (new cases) against a decrease of 314 (253 deaths, 35 fate unknown, 26 cured or improved) in the 20 year period for a total increase of 21 cases. An increase in the lepromatous type and in female cases has taken place. A marked rise in leprosy in Koreans is also noted. There were 137 cases being treated at home at the beginning of 1936 but has decreased to 24 in 1955
