Abstract: Objective: To investigate the detection methods and distribution patterns of newly identified leprosy cases in Suqian City from 2005 to 2025, analyze trends, and provide scientific basis for future leprosy prevention and control efforts. Methods: Detailed data on newly diagnosed leprosy cases in Suqian City from 2005 to 2025 were collected through the National Leprosy Prevention and Control Management Information System. Descriptive epidemiological methods were employed to analyze these cases. Results: A total of 61 new leprosy cases were detected in Suqian City from 2005 to 2025, with an average annual detection rate of 0.06/10⁵. The leprosy detection rate showed a declining trend (trend χ2=17.05, P＜0.001), and the highest annual rate was recorded in 2010 (0.30/10⁵). The mean age at definitive diagnosis of newly detected cases was (47.4±16.4) years, with males and farmers constituting the predominant subgroups. Thirty-three cases (54.10%) were identified through outpatient consultation in the dermatology department, which was the primary detection approach. The average diagnostic delay from symptom onset to confirmed diagnosis was 57.68 months, and 49 cases experienced a diagnostic delay of no less than 12 months. The overall grade 2 disability rate was 24.59%; specifically, the disability rate reached 51.02% in patients with a diagnostic delay ≥12 months, compared with 8.33% in those with a delay shorter than 12 months. Logistic regression analysis indicated that patients with a diagnostic delay of 12 months or longer had an 11.2-fold higher risk of developing disability. Conclusion: The detection rate and prevalence rate of leprosy in Suqian City both declined from 2005 to 2025, indicating a low endemic status of leprosy locally. Most new cases were identified during dermatology outpatient visits, accompanied by prominent problems including diagnostic delay and a relatively high grade 2 disability rate.

Key words: leprosy, newly diagnosed cases, characteristics