A study of household contacts of persons affected by leprosy with a high bacterial index

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to screen household contacts of persons diagnosed with leprosy having a high bacterial index, at a tertiary referral centre. Methods: This hospital based study involved 334 persons who were newly diagnosed as leprosy with a high bacterial index, attending a tertiary referral hospital, Champa, Chhattisgarh, India. We enumerated all the household contacts of registered cases and invited them to be screened for leprosy. Results: Of 334 high BI cases, 252 (75%) were male and 82 (25%) were female, with ages ranging from 12 to 75 years. Sixty two (18%) had Grade 2 disability and 32% had a bacterial index of above 5+ at the time of diagnosis. A total of 1,397 household members were enrolled for screening and 678 (49%) were examined for leprosy. One hundred and sixteen household members were found to have signs of leprosy, and among these, 57 (49%) were identified as new cases, 11 (10%) were known cases on treatment and 48 (41%) had been previously treated for leprosy. Conclusion: This study showed that screening of household contacts of high BI cases is an effective method of leprosy case detection and emphasizes the continuing need to screen and follow up. Continued health education and motivation of household contacts will enhance voluntary reporting for periodical screening.