02328nas a2200361   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653001100080653002000091653002100111653001100132653001100143653001100154653001200165653000900177653001600186653001700202100001200219700001600231700001900247700001700266700001500283700001600298245007900314856005100393300001000444490000700454050001400461520147700475022001401952       2006                            d  c2006 Mar10aAdolescent10aAdult10aBrazil10aContact Tracing10aEndemic Diseases10aFamily10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aRisk Factors1 aDeps PD1 aGuedes BV S1 aBucker Filho J1 aAndreatta MK1 aMarcari RS1 aRodrigues L00aCharacteristics of known leprosy contact in a high endemic area in Brazil.  uhttps://leprosyreview.org/article/77/1/03-4040  a34-400 v77  aDEPS 20063 a<p><b>BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: </b>The annual number of new cases of leprosy has not declined in Brazil over the last 15 years, indicating that transmission continues at the same level. To study transmission, we interviewed leprosy patients about their known leprosy contact (KLC).</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>Clinical and demographic data were collected from 506 leprosy patients in four health units in the Metropolitan Region of Vitŕia, State of Espírito Santo, Brazil. SPSS 9.0 was used as a database and analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>Two hundred and twenty-six (44.7%) of 506 leprosy patients reported KLC, 136 (60.2%) of 226 were parents. Among 226, the mean of KLC was 1.89 (SD +/- 1.65), and 61.3% had one KLC. KLC as a household contact was reported by 92 (40.7%) out of 226, and 121 (53.5%) had no household contact. KLC were most frequently sisters and brothers in the PB cases, and sons/daughters in MB cases. Mothers occurred more frequently as a KLC than fathers. From the leprosy patients that had reported household contacts, 73% said that at the onset of their skin lesions, the KLCs were either undergoing were not yet released from treatment (RFT), and 23.45% had not begun the treatment yet. Altogether, 62.3% of 226 cases had daily contact with the KLC.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION: </b>In Brazil, household contacts, including the family members (mothers, sisters and brothers), as well as the social contact need to be investigated by the control programs.</p>  a0305-7518