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. 2020 Nov;103(5):1810-1812.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0003.

Hansen's Disease and Complications among Marshallese Persons Residing in Northwest Arkansas, 2003-2017

Sarah M Labuda  1   2 , Sandra H Williams  2 , Leonard N Mukasa  2 , Linda McGhee  3
Affiliations

Hansen's Disease and Complications among Marshallese Persons Residing in Northwest Arkansas, 2003-2017

Sarah M Labuda et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Persons from the Republic of the Marshall Islands have among the highest rates of Hansen's disease (HD) in the world; the largest Marshallese community in the continental United States is in northwest Arkansas. In 2017, the HD Ambulatory Care Clinic in Springdale, Arkansas, informed the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) that Marshallese persons with HD had severe disease with frequent complications. To characterize their illness, we reviewed ADH surveillance reports of HD among Marshallese persons in Arkansas treated during 2003-2017 (n = 42). Hansen's Disease prevalence among Marshallese in Arkansas (11.7/10,000) was greater than that in the general U.S. population. Complications included arthritis (38%), erythema nodosum leprosum (21%), and prolonged treatment lasting > 2 years (40%). The majority (82%) of patients treated for > 2 years had documented intermittent therapy. Culturally appropriate support for therapy and adherence is needed in Arkansas.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the CDC or the Arkansas Department of Health.

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