An assessment of school survey as a method of detection of leprosy cases

The present study includes the analysis of case-control study and hospital records of leprosy patients. 26 cases of leprosy were detected through examination of 21,412 school children of 5-19 years age, attending 30 and 25 schools in urban and rural area respectively of Surat District. Matched controls of these leprosy cases were selected from their healthy class-mates by employing certain criteria. Home visits paid to these 24 cases and their controls revealed a positive family history in 50% (12/24) of affected students. Case detection rates were 17.9% and 0.0% among the contracts of affected students and their controls respectively. Out of 26 cases, 16 (61.5%) were detected for the first time (undetected cases). However, record analysis revealed that only 32.6% and 39.5% of the detected cases of school going age, were attending schools in rural and urban area respectively. School survey and contact survey of child cases, in spite of certain limitations, can be considered as a useful, cheap and rapid method for detection of leprosy cases in the community.