Abstract
Among the inhabitants of Amami-Islands, mass-survey of leprosy was carried out in peoples of 77, 500, who lived in Kikai-Island, Setouchi-Town, Tokunoshima-Town and Okierabu-Island (Wadomari-and China-Town). This survey was put into practice at each hamlet in conjunction with the survey of tuberculosis in order to investigate all inhabitants as many as possible. The rate of examination was different in examined areas, as shown in 89.3 to 98.6%. Many unexamined cases were found in Setouchi-Town, where the communication each other had to be due to sea-route, but this rate was more than 96% in the other towns. Therefore, it seems to be better that this examination puts into practice in conjunction with the mass-survey of tuber-culosis on all inhabitants, as well as the author's method.
In these examined areas, total numbers of leprosy patients were 343(4.64 per 1, 000 of population), and hospitalized cases were 257 and unhospitalized cases were 86 in these patients. The incidence of leprosy in examined areas was highest in Setouchi-Town, secondarily in Tokunoshima-Town or Kikai-Town, and this prevalence was lowest in Okierabu-Island, and many unhospitalized patients were found in town where there were many hospitalized patients.
Unhospitalized patients of 86 cases corresponded to 1.16 per 1, 000 of population and this rate was 46 times higher than the average in Japan. However, 72% of these unhospitalized patients was TN-type of leprosy and the other cases were L-type or TM-type of leprosy who would become the infectious sources. Unhospitalized patients who were found newly by these examinations were three times higher than those who were registered already. This fact suggests that mass-survey of leprosy will be very important in areas where many hospitalized patients were found already. However, leprosy patients with the age of less than 19 years were found in 3% to all patients and these cases were already hospitalized. This phenomenon may show the tendency that the prevalence of leprosy will be decreasing gradually in Amami-Islands.
