Epidemiological profile of in-house contacts of leprosy cases in a Brazilian hypertendemic capital

Objective: The study’s purpose has been to assess the situation of in-house contacts of the leprosy cases reported over 2012 in São Luis city, Maranhão State. Methods: It s a cross-sectional and descriptive study with a quantitative approach. Data collection was performed through a structured instrument. Results: The majority of the in-house contacts were women (51.87%), within a age group from 0 to 20 years old (40.29%), first-degree consanguineous (54.92%), dimorphic shape (59.78) and multibacillary (75.53%). In total, 1,880 (67.96%) did not take the dermato-neurological exam. Among those tested, there was a greater frequency in the Bequimão district (2.48%), 59.82% were women, from 0 to 20 years old (44.77%). Considering the exam, 91.27% were normal. Among those suspected of carrying the disease, 36.73% had leprosy, 58.21% had scars from the BCG first dose and 59.98% were sent to take the vaccination. The prevalence of the disease among the contacts was 1.62%. The actions of contact monitoring were classified as precarious in São Luis city. Conclusion: The majority of registered contacts were not examined, therefore, highlighting the need for reinforcing the monitoring efforts across the city