OBJECTIVE:

To identify risk factors in household contacts of leprosy patients, using clinical, sociodemographic, and laboratorial variables.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Cases series were investigated evaluating the household contacts of leprosy patients that were attended in a reference center in Pará State, Brazil, from 2012 to 2015. Dermatoneurological examinations, anti-PGL-I serology (ELISA, using cut-off point 0.2 and 0.13), and BCG vaccine control were performed, as well as clinical demographic data survey from the index case was conducted.

RESULTS:

There was higher predominance of the contacts that had been BCG vaccinated at least once (91.1%), higher seropositivity among contacts that present the disease multibacillary leprosy form, being more prevalent when the cut-off point was 0.13 (61.5%). The higest anti-PGL-I titrations were detected among the female group (51.1%), those that had elementary education (46.7%) and were among 15 to 40 years old (47.8%). The majority of individuals (91.4%) lived in houses with less than two rooms.

CONCLUSION:

It was concluded that low education level, age and living conditions may be risk factors for leprosy illness among household contacts of the multibacillary leprosy form; the younger age groups are more exposed to the bacillus contact; and that the anti-PGL-I serology is an important tool for tracking contacts of multibacillary leprosy forms.