[Study on subclinical infection with M. leprae--a follow-up]

In this article, we reported the results of studies on the rates of subclinical infection (SI) among leprosy contacts and a follow-up using PGL-I-ELISA. The results indicated that: (1) the rates of SI were higher in household contacts than those in around population; (2) factors such as type of leprosy, degree of contact affected the development of SI; (3) among 97 followed-up contacts, one person developed clinical leprosy in the second year; (4) acid-fast bacilli (AFB) were seen in the skin or peripheral blood of some subjects, some factors affecting SI, and the significance of AFB in skin and blood are discussed in detail.