Risk Factors for Leprosy among Contacts
Author Information
Author(s): Sales Anna M., Ponce de Leon Antonio, Düppre Nádia C., Hacker Mariana A., Nery José Augusto C., Sarno Euzenir N., Penna Maria L. F.
Primary Institution: Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Hypothesis
This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors associated with developing leprosy among the contacts of newly-diagnosed leprosy patients.
Conclusion
Biological and social factors appear to be associated with leprosy among co-prevalent cases, while factors related to the infectious load and proximity with the index case were associated with leprosy that appeared in the incident cases during follow-up.
Supporting Evidence
- Household contacts were more likely than non-household contacts to present with leprosy.
- Consanguinity with the index case increased the risk of leprosy.
- BCG vaccination was shown to be a protective factor against leprosy.
Takeaway
This study looked at people who were close to leprosy patients to find out what makes them more likely to get leprosy themselves. It found that living with the patient and being related to them increases the risk.
Methodology
The study included 6,158 contacts of 1,201 leprosy patients and analyzed various risk factors using multilevel logistic regression.
Limitations
The study may not account for all potential confounding factors and is limited to a specific geographic area.
Participant Demographics
57.6% of contacts were female, mean age was 25.6 years; 63.9% of index cases were male, mean age was 38.2 years.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.02–1.73 for household contact; 95% CI: 1.42–2.51 for consanguinity.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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