title: [Hansen's Disease in the municipality of Fortaleza, CE, Brazil: epidemiological and operational aspects in children under 15-years-old (1995-2006)].
abstract: This is a sectional study that aims to analyze the occurrence of Hansen's disease cases in 15 year-old minors in the Municipality of Fortaleza and notified in SINAN. The epidemiological indicators in this population show hiperendemicity. In operational terms is observed the maintenance of the service concentration in some reference units, in spite of some progress. Late diagnosis, a high degree of incapacity in the diagnosis and low degree of evaluation of contacts registered reveal the fragility of the actions of control. This study emphasizes the possibility of error diagnostic front to the characteristics of the infection in this population. The occurrence of cases of leprosy in this population represents an epidemiologic indicator of great importance and its analysis extends the discussion on operational problems in the network of health services.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Saúde Comunitária, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE.
authors.forename: Carlos Henrique Morais de
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Alencar
authors.forename: Jaqueline Caracas
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Alberto Novaes
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Maria de Jesus Freitas de
authors.initials: Mde J
authors.lastname: Alencar
authors.forename: Ricardo José Soares
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Pontes
authors.forename: Cláudio Gastão Junqueira de
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Jorg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heukelbach
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016358:Contact Tracing; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D017678:Sex Distribution