Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium leprae is the cause of leprosy, a disease whose severity worsens over time. It affects the nerves of the extremities, the integumentary systems, the linings of appendages like the nose, and the upper respiratory tract. This study aimed to determine the of M. leprae slide positivity in Felege Hiwot Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. METHOD: Patients' record from January 2017 to December 2023 was reviewed and extracted from laboratory registration book. Socio-demographic data like age, sex, and confirmed cases were collected carefully. Data were cleaned, coded, entered and analyzed with statistical package for social sciences version 23. RESULT: The prevalence of M. leprae was 21.8% (138/633). Among M. leprae skin slit acid-fast positive-registered cases, 91.3% (126/138) were males and 8.7% (12/138) were females. The majority of M. leprae slide positive cases (78.3%, 108/138) were detected from patients in the age range of 15-46 years old. Based on this study finding, male sex is significantly associated with M. leprae slide positivity (AOR = 6 [1.8-15.4], 95% CI, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of M. leprae slide acid-fast bacilli positivity is relatively high. The high prevalence of M. leprae slide positivity, particularly among males, underscores the importance of targeted case detection strategies in this demographic to control leprosy. This study indicated that acid-fast bacilli positivity of M. leprae is higher in males than females.