OBJECTIVE: To identify risk areas for the occurrence of leprosy and the relationship of household contacts and neighborhood in a basic health family in Cáceres-MT. METHODS: Ecological study of spacial analysis of leprosy from 2001 to 2007. The geographical position of each new case was identified by Global Position Space. To estimate the area of influence of cases used the technique of buffer. RESULTS: Thirty-four new leprosy cases were detected and 35.3% of new cases were household contacts or neighborhood. For every six new case diagnosed, a contact had leprosy. CONCLUSION: The residences of individuals diagnosed with leprosy and neighboring households appear as the main risk areas for the occurrence of new cases of the disease, confirming the investigation of contacts relevant to leprosy control.
leprosy; epidemiological surveillance; geographical localization of risk