The detection rate of leprosy in the district of Paracatu is high in the age group under 15 years-old, including about 6.8/10,000 inhabitants in 2003, and classified as hyperendemic. The study aimed to analyze the application of the PGL-1 (ML Flow) serological test in 56 of 68 school-age patients of the public school system, diagnosed with leprosy through active case finding in Paracatu, Minas Gerais State (2004 to 2006), with 71% classified as paucibacillary. Of these, 85.2% lived in urban areas, 55.8% were female and the disease was predominant in the 10 to 14 year-old age group (95%CI: 0.49-0.89; c²=7.373), with 15 (26.7%) presenting a positive ML Flow result. Five patients showed grade 1 disabilities in the borderline clinical form (40% ML Flow positive). The percentage of leprosy cases among household contacts was 46.4%, 44.9% presenting positive ML Flow test results. The study suggests incorporating the ML Flow test into the health services, since it assists in the operational classification of the disease and in the control of household contacts with positive test results, aimed at early detection of suspected leprosy cases.
Leprosy; School children; PGL-1/ML Flow; Paracatu; Minas Gerais
