A follow-up study has been carried out using Fluorescent Leprosy Antibody Absorption (FLA-ABS) test in 1069 healthy contacts of multi and pauci-bacillary leprosy patients. Simultaneously lepromin testing with Dharmendra antigen has also been done to determine their delayed type hypersensitivity. In nearly 8 years of follow-up, 46 contacts have developed disease and of these 41 contacts were FLA-ABS positive and lepromin negative. It is inferred that test (along with lepromin) can be used to identify the contacts who are at higher risk of developing the disease. FLA-ABS test has also been found to be highly sensitive for detection of subclinical infection specially in younger age groups. This test could therefore serve as a very sensitive epidemiological tool for assessing the extent of disease in the community and for monitoring the transmission of disease especially after MDT and other intervention measures.
BT - Indian journal of leprosy C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2695581?dopt=Abstract CN - Infolep Library - available DA - 1989 Oct IS - 4 J2 - Indian J Lepr LA - eng N2 -A follow-up study has been carried out using Fluorescent Leprosy Antibody Absorption (FLA-ABS) test in 1069 healthy contacts of multi and pauci-bacillary leprosy patients. Simultaneously lepromin testing with Dharmendra antigen has also been done to determine their delayed type hypersensitivity. In nearly 8 years of follow-up, 46 contacts have developed disease and of these 41 contacts were FLA-ABS positive and lepromin negative. It is inferred that test (along with lepromin) can be used to identify the contacts who are at higher risk of developing the disease. FLA-ABS test has also been found to be highly sensitive for detection of subclinical infection specially in younger age groups. This test could therefore serve as a very sensitive epidemiological tool for assessing the extent of disease in the community and for monitoring the transmission of disease especially after MDT and other intervention measures.
PY - 1989 SP - 495 EP - 502 T2 - Indian journal of leprosy TI - Detection of subclinical infection in leprosy: an 8 years follow-up study. VL - 61 SN - 0254-9395 ER -