01705nas a2200301   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001500059653001100074653001000085653002100095653002100116653001100137653001100148653001100159653001200170653000900182100001300191700001400204700001300218700001900231245011400250856006800364300001000432490000700442520094000449022001401389       2008                            d  c2008 Nov-Dec10aAdolescent10aBrazil10aChild10aChild, Preschool10aDisabled Persons10aFemale10aHumans10aInfant10aleprosy10aMale1 aLana FCF1 aAmaral EP1 aLanza FM1 aSaldanha ANSLE00aPhysical disabilities resulting from Hansen's disease in Vale do Jequitinhonha/state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.  uhttps://www.scielo.br/j/rlae/a/wjFMYyTBrjKXbbHvSZLMh3b/?lang=en  a993-70 v163 a<p>Leprosy is potentially debilitating. The present study aims at describing and assessing the occurrence of physical disabilities in cases of leprosy in the population of the Vale do Jequitinhonha/MG, in the period 1998-2006. It is an epidemiological descriptive study and the data were collected from the Leprosy Notification Forms. This information was processed using EPI-INFO and analyzed, based on the indicators recommended by the Ministry of Health and the force of association between variables. Of the 1461 cases notified, 46.2% were diagnosed with some kind of physical disability (12.1% degree II). Of these, 59.1% were male; 96.9% of the people were over 15 years old, and 93.2% were multibacillary (p < 0.001). A hidden prevalence of 433 cases was estimated in the period 2002-2006. The results show that the diagnosis of Hansen's disease in the region is late, revealing the need to intensify prevention and control.</p>  a0104-1169