Transmission of leprosy in Qiubei County, Yunnan, China: Insights from an 8-year molecular epidemiology investigation

▶ VNTR typing is a sensitive tool for tracking the transmission of leprosy. ▶ Transmission between family groups and neighboring townships was evident. ▶ VNTR patterns were similar for different genders and clinical presentations. ▶ VNTR typing revealed that transmission patterns varied across ethnicities. ▶ VNTR typing was able to distinguish relapse from reinfection.