02204nas a2200397   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001000059653001200069653001500081653002500096653002300121653002700144653001100171653001100182653001200193653000900205653001500214653002000229100001300249700001400262700001400276700001500290700001300305700001400318700001800332700001600350700001300366700001800379245009100397856005400488300001100542490000700553520123200560022001401792       2008                            d  c2008 Jul-Aug10aAdult10aAnimals10aArmadillos10aCase-Control Studies10aDisease Reservoirs10aEnvironmental Exposure10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aOdds Ratio10aRisk Assessment1 aDeps P D1 aAlves B L1 aGripp C G1 aAragao R L1 aGuedes B1 aFilho J B1 aAndreatta M K1 aMarcari R S1 aPrates I1 aRodrigues L C00aContact with armadillos increases the risk of leprosy in Brazil: a case control study.  uhttp://www.ijdvl.com/text.asp?2008/74/4/338/42897  a338-420 v743 a<p><b>BACKGROUND: </b>Mycobacterium leprae infection has recently been detected in wild armadillos in Brazil. Leprosy is still endemic in Brazil and although its transmission is mostly by person-to-person contact, many cases report no history of previously known leprosy contact. It has been suggested that other sources of M. leprae may contribute to the transmission of leprosy in some areas.</p><p><b>AIM: </b>Our objective was to investigate whether contact with armadillos is associated with leprosy.</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>A case-control study was carried out in Brazil. Data was collected from 506 leprosy patients and 594 controls on exposure to armadillos and age, sex, place of birth and living conditions. Univariate analysis and unconditional logistic regression were conducted to investigate whether leprosy was associated with exposure to armadillos.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>Direct armadillo exposure was reported by 68% of leprosy cases and by 48% of controls (P < 0.001) roughly doubling the risk of leprosy, with odds ratio (OR) 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.36-2.99].</p><p><b>CONCLUSION: </b>The results of this study suggest that direct exposure to armadillos is a risk factor for leprosy in Brazil.</p>  a0973-3922