Primary multidrug-resistant leprosy, United States.

TO THE EDITOR: Since the initiation of multidrug therapy for leprosy (Hansen disease) in the 1980s by using rifampin, dapsone, and clofazimine, resistance to rifampin and dapsone has been observed worldwide and is still prevalent (1,2). Because few alternative effective antileprosy drugs exist, resistance to these first-line drugs could seriously affect leprosy control programs. We report a documented case of primary multidrug-resistant (MDR) leprosy in the United States.