title: Detection of subclinical infection in leprosy: an 8 years follow-up study.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Central Jalma Institute for Leprosy (ICMR), Taj Ganj, Agra.
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Bharadwaj
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katoch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007916:Lepromin / Q000276:immunology; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007916:Lepromin