01672nas a2200385   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653000900080653002600089653001000115653001300125653002000138653003800158653001100196653001100207653002100218653001200239653000900251653001600260653002500276653003000301653001700331653001600348100002100364700002200385700002100407245015200428856004800580300001000628490000800638520062600646022001401272       2009                            d  c2009 Sep10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aAntibodies, Bacterial10aChild10aColombia10aContact Tracing10aEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay10aFemale10aHumans10aImmunoglobulin G10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aMycobacterium leprae10apolymerase chain reaction10aRisk Factors10aYoung Adult1 aCardona-Castro N1 aBeltran-Alzate JC1 aRomero-Montoya M00aClinical, bacteriological and immunological follow-up of household contacts of leprosy patients from a post-elimination area - Antioquia, Colombia.  uhttp://www.scielo.br/pdf/mioc/v104n6/21.pdf  a935-60 v1043 a<p>Follow-up of the household contacts (HHC) of leprosy patients is still the best strategy for early detection of leprosy. HHC from a post-elimination region of Colombia studied in 2001-2002 were re-contacted in 2007. They were tested at both times by clinical examination, bacillary index (BI), PCR from a slit skin smear (SSS) and anti PGL-1 IgM titres. Thirty-two of 61 HHC (52%) were re-contacted. Nine HHC (28%) showed sero-conversion and one had a skin lesion (BI negative, nested PCR positive). Periodic evaluation of HHC can contribute to the detection of infected HHC as well as new and early leprosy cases.</p>  a1678-8060