Epidemiology of leprosy in rural population of Pondicherry.

A village having population of 2000 in 350 families and coming under the Villianur Commune of the Union Territory of Pondicherry was subjected to a total population survey. The population examined was 92.2%. A total of 138 cases of leprosy were found in 94 families making a prevalence rate of 6.9%. There were single cases in 61 families and two to four cases in 33 families. Child rate for leprosy was 37%. The male to female ratio showed no sex predilection. Maximum percentage (30.4%) of cases belonged to maculoanaesthetic type, followed by tuberculoid (27.5%), indeterminate (19.6%), borderline (14.5%), polyneuritic (6.5%) and lepromatous (1.5%) types. Nerve involvement was more frequent in multiple skin lesion cases than in single lesion cases.