**Meet the editor**

Wellman Ribón is a bacteriologist, clinical laboratory professional and specialist in environmental chemistry from the Universidad Industrial de Santander. He has a master's degree in Biochemistry from the Universidad Pontificia Javeriana and is a doctoral student in public health at the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico. He is also recognized as a senior researcher by

COLCIENCIAS. Wellman Ribón has over 20 years of experience as a public health advisor and researcher in scientific and technological development in health. He has worked at the National Institute of Health of Colombia as coordinator of the Mycobacteria Group, has been a manager of scientific research projects, and is a member of the Colombian Center for Excellence in Research in Tuberculosis, EurolabTB Consortium and SLAMTB. He is currently a titular professor at the School of Medicine of the Faculty of Health of the Universidad Industrial de Santander where he works as a professor and researcher. He created the Mycobacterium Research Laboratory, in which he makes his research proposals, and contributes to the training of undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Mr. Ribón has published articles on diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy and mycobacteriosis, and has written seven book chapters. He carried out several research projects on tuberculosis, leprosy and mycobacteriosis, and is currently developing a line of scientific research in the evaluation of health processes, plans, policies and programs. He is the editor of the books *Tuberculosis: Expanding Knowledge*, *Mycobacterium: Research and Development* and *Hansen's Disease - The Forgotten and Neglected Disease*. The area of interest of Mr. Ribón's professional work has always been public health focused on diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy, mycobacteriosis and their comorbidities and relationships with the social determinants. These are areas that are being linked to the processes of scientific evaluation due to the great negative impact of these diseases on public health. For his contributions Mr. Ribón received the distinction "Orden Lorencita Villegas de Santos" on behalf of the Colombian Antituberculosis League and Respiratory Diseases - LAC.

Contents

**Preface VII**

**Neglected Disease 1**

Besra and David E. Minnikin

Vinícius Cantanhêde Santos

Leyla Bilik, Betul Demir and Demet Cicek

Dhelya Widasmara and Sri Linuwih Menaldi

Chapter 7 **Immunogenetics of MHC and KIR in the Leprosy 113**

**of Leprosy 37**

**of Leprosy 63**

Chapter 5 **Leprosy Reactions 81**

Chapter 6 **Demyelination in Leprosy 93**

Eliete Laguila Visentainer

Lina Fernández and Wellman Ribón

Chapter 2 **The Distribution and Origins of Ancient Leprosy 7**

Chapter 1 **Introductory Chapter: Hansen´s Disease – The Forgotten and**

Chapter 3 **An Update on the Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Treatment**

Nebahat Demet Akpolat, Ayse Akkus and Emre Kaynak

Mayara Ingrid Sousa Lima, Emilly Caroline dos Santos Moraes, Jaqueline Diniz Pinho, Gustavo Henrique Corrêa Soares and Ítalo

Hugo Vicentin Alves, Bruna Tiaki Tiyo, Ana Maria Sell and Jeane

Chapter 4 **Molecular and Biotechnological Approaches in the Diagnosis**

Helen D. Donoghue, G. Michael Taylor, Tom A. Mendum, Graham R. Stewart, Leen Rigouts, Oona Y-C. Lee, Houdini H.T. Wu, Gurdyal S.
