A study of lepromin reaction in child contacts of leprosy patients and non contact children in Chengalpattu District Tamil Nadu.

In this study early lepromin reaction has been used to detect delayed hypersensitivity reaction to a prior infection with M. leprae, recent studies indicate that a certain number of contacts who develop sub-clinical infection remain anergic to the lepromin test. This is indicated by the Fluorescent leprosy antibody absorption (FLA-ABS) test of Abe (1979) which detects antibodies in the sera of infected individuals. Correlation of this serological test with lepromin response in contacts is in progress in the CJIL, Agra. These anergic contacts are likely to be susceptible to leprosy, a finding which would help in taking prophylactic measures.