Background: This epidemiological study aimed to analyze both the distribution and the characteristics of leprosy in an endemic province in the Chinese Northwest. Methods: The medical records of leprosy in the province of Shaanxi, China, 1998-2018 were collected from the leprosy management information system in China (LEPMIS). Epidemiological variables were analyzed in this study. Results: 477 new cases were diagnosed between 1998-2018 in this area. The average rate of annual detection was

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... 100,000 population, and the average annual prevalence was 0.305/100,000 population. The mean age of new patients was 46.7 years, and the ratio of male to female was 2.5:1. There were 399 cases (83.6%) of multibacillary (MB) forms. 148 cases (31.0%) had grade 2 disability. The mean delay in diagnosis for new cases was 62.0 months. Conclusion: The epidemiological study showed that the characteristics of the new leprosy cases in our province were still long delay in diagnosis and high rate of deformity, which indicated the need of actions of stimulating early diagnosis and treatment, and strengthening the detection of leprosy in low prevalent areas.