01582nas a2200289   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001600055653003000071653001100101653001100112653001100123653001000134653002300144653001200167653000900179100001900188700001600207700001100223700001600234245009700250856004100347300001100388490000700399520087200406022001401278       1989                            d  c1989 Sep10aAge Factors10aDrug Therapy, Combination10aFamily10aFemale10aHumans10aIndia10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aMale1 aSundar Rao P S1 aJesudasan K1 aMani K1 aChristian M00aImpact of MDT on incidence rates of leprosy among household contacts. Part 1. Baseline data.  uhttp://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v57n3a08.pdf  a647-510 v573 a<p>This preliminary study from Gudiyatham Taluk, the leprosy control area of the Schieffelin Leprosy Research & Training Centre, investigated the incidence rates of leprosy among household contacts during the period 1970-1985. The incidence rates of leprosy among the household contacts prior to and during the initiation of multi-drug therapy are presented here. The overall incidence rate among the household contacts was 4 per 1000 person-years at risk. Contacts of multibacillary and paucibacillary cases had a relative risk of 3-6 times and 2-4 times the risk of leprosy in the general population, respectively. The incidence rates among children were higher than adults; the peak age-specific incidence rate was between 5-9 years, and nearly one third of the primary cases were children. These findings are presented and the methodological issues discussed.</p>  a0148-916X