Abstract: 【Abstract】 Objective To analyze epidemiological characteristics and trends of leprosy in Wuhan, and to provide a reference for the formulation of prevention and control measures in the new era. Methods Epidemiological data on leprosy in Wuhan from 1952 to 2023 was collected, and descriptive and trend analyses were conducted. A Joinpoint regression model was used to analyze the trends of leprosy detection rates and prevalence rates. Results There were a total of 3 657 new leprosy cases in Wuhan from 1952 to 2023, including 2 918 males and 739 females, with a male-to-female ratio of 3.95∶1. Their ages at onset were 29.00 ± 14.87 years. A confirmed diagnosis required over 2 years in 2 089 cases （57.12%）, and the rate of grade 2 disability reached 23.08% （844 cases）. Among the 2 463 patients who underwent typing by immunospectrometry, 816 （33.13%） were diagnosed with multibacillary leprosy. The detection rate of leprosy in Wuhan decreased from 4.22 per 100 000 in 1952 to 0 per 100 000 in 2023, with an annual average decrease of 9.59% （t = -18.21, P < 0.001）; the prevalence rate declined from 40.93 per 100 000 in 1962 to 0.02 per 100 000 in 2023, with an annual average decrease of 10.95% （t = -52.70, P < 0.001）. The top three regions with the highest number of newly detected leprosy cases in Wuhan from 1952 to 2023 were Qiaokou District, Huangpi District, and Jiang'an District. Over the past 30 years, there have been no new leprosy cases among children and adolescents aged 0 to 14 years. Conclusion The leprosy epidemic in Wuhan has shown an overall downward trend and is currently in a low-endemic status.

Key words: Leprosy, Epidemics, Communicable disease control, Prevalence, Epidemic trend, Wuhan