FIELD-EVALUATION OF WHO MDT OF FIXED DURATION, AT ALERT, ETHIOPIA - THE AMFES PROJECT .2. REACTION AND NEURITIS DURING AND AFTER MDT IN PB AND MB LEPROSY PATIENTS

For a cohort of 286 leprosy patients the incidence rates and clinical manifestations of leprosy reactions during treatment and surveillance are described. Currently, individual patients had been observed for up to 4 years. It is intended that surveillance within this project shou ld continue for up to 5 years after treatment. Of 128 PB patients, obs erved for 267 person-years (mean 2.1) 27 had 35 episodes of reaction, corresponding to an overall incidence rate of 131 events per 1000 pers on-years-at-risk (pyar). Of 158 MB patients observed for 402 person ye ars (mean 2.5), 64 had 114 reactions, with an overall incidence of 284 events per 1000 pyar. For both PB and MB patients, incidence rates du ring treatment and post-MDT surveillance were similar. For PB patients , pre-existing physical impairment at the start of MDT was a significa nt risk factor for the occurrence of subsequent events, but this was n ot found in MB patients.