Leprosy Active Searching Trial in Brazil

NCT ID: NCT06761469

Last Updated: 2025-07-02

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

1925 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-06-01

Study Completion Date

2026-05-31

Brief Summary

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The goal of this clinical trial is to assess whether a multifactorial active case-finding strategy improves the detection of leprosy cases in Brazil compared to usual screening practices. The main questions it aims to answer are:

\- Does the intervention increase the number of new leprosy cases detected compared to standard care?

Participants will:

* Receive community awareness about leprosy.
* Be screened using the Leprosy Suspicion Questionnaire at priority areas identified by georeference tools.
* Undergo clinical evaluation by a trained medical team.
* If leprosy is diagnosed, affected patients will collect complementary laboratory exams

Healthcare professionals from primary care units will receive training in leprosy, while researchers will monitor changes in leprosy incidence over a 12-month period using data from Brazil's national notification system. The study will provide insights into underdiagnosis and the clinical profiles of patients who have been diagnosed.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Leprosy

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NON_RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SEQUENTIAL

Cluster stepped-wedge
Primary Study Purpose

SCREENING

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Data analyst (statistician)

Study Groups

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Multifaceted intervention

Implementation of active-case finding strategies

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Implementing active-case finding strategies

Intervention Type OTHER

Implementation of a multifactorial active-case finding strategy, including: (1) raising awareness among the population about leprosy; (2) theoretical and practical educational training for healthcare workers; (3) georeferencing of historical and existing cases in the municipality (from 2012 to 2023) and of new cases diagnosed throughout the study (dynamic changes); (4) screening tools for signs/symptoms of the disease (application of Leprosy Suspicion Questionnaire); and (5) serological profile (rapid test) of patients with reported signs/symptoms (positive answers Leprosy Suspicion Questionnaire).

Standard of care

Routine screening

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Implementing active-case finding strategies

Implementation of a multifactorial active-case finding strategy, including: (1) raising awareness among the population about leprosy; (2) theoretical and practical educational training for healthcare workers; (3) georeferencing of historical and existing cases in the municipality (from 2012 to 2023) and of new cases diagnosed throughout the study (dynamic changes); (4) screening tools for signs/symptoms of the disease (application of Leprosy Suspicion Questionnaire); and (5) serological profile (rapid test) of patients with reported signs/symptoms (positive answers Leprosy Suspicion Questionnaire).

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

(I) Municipalities

* Municipality recognized by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics as part of the Brazilian Federation.
* Municipality with operational epidemiological classification by the Ministry of Health (BMoH) as: 'municipalities with cases in the period from 2015 to 2019'.
* Municipality with authorization/consent from the government to participate in the study.

(II) Primary Health Units (Unidade Básica de Saúde or UBS) • UBS with territorial coverage (linked population) within the participating municipality.

(III) Participants

• Patients with positive Leprosy Suspicion Questionnaire (LSQ): children under five years old with Free and Informed Consent Form (ICF) signed by parents/guardians, 5-17 years old with ICF signed by parents/guardians and Free and Informed Assent Form (IAF) signed by the minor, and patients over 18 years old with ICF signed for: rapid test collection, comorbidity questionnaire and clinical evaluation; and if leprosy diagnosis is confirmed, collection of complementary exams.

Exclusion Criteria

(I) Municipalities

* Municipality with extreme population size (municipalities with a number of inhabitants lower than the 10th percentile and higher than the 90th percentile).
* Municipality with operational epidemiological classification by the BMoH as: 'municipalities without cases in the period 2015 to 2019'.
* Municipalities with active or recent participation (less than one year) in other active-finding strategies, in addition to the usual ones: ministerial, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), academic, among others.

(II) Primary Health Units

* UBS with limited multidisciplinary team (absence of physicians, nurse and/or community health agents).
* UBS with difficult access (no access by land, i.e. riverside populations).
* UBS with territorial coverage exclusively of indigenous populations.

(III) Participants

* LSQ negative.
* Patients with a previous diagnosis or history of treated leprosy.
* Patients residing/registered outside the selected municipality.
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Sebastian Andres Vernal Carranza

Medical Doctor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Rosa C Lucchetta, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz

Locations

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Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz

São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Brazil

Central Contacts

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Sebastian A Vernal, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

+61 488 062 931

Katia C Braz

Role: CONTACT

+55 11 99616 5496

Facility Contacts

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Katia C Braz

Role: primary

+55 11 99616 5496

Gisele S Belber

Role: backup

+55 11 94968 8725

Other Identifiers

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78510724.3.0000.0070

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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