LOSS OF VIABILITY OF MYCOBACTERIUM-LEPRAE ISOLATED FROM NASAL SECRETIONS OF LEPROMATOUS LEPROSY PATIENTS FOLLOWING DAILY RIFAMPICIN AND DDSTHERAPY

Excreta from blowing their noses was collected from 4 previously untre ated multibacillary (LL) patients in the ALERT hospital, immediately b efore and during daily treatment with 600 mg rifampicin and 100 mg dap sone (DDS). The Mycobacterium leprae recovered from the nasal secretio ns were enumerated and inoculated into the footpads of normal mice. Ba cilli recovered from 2 of the patients failed to infect mice after 1 d ay's treatment, and all infectivity of the bacilli from the other 2 pa tients was lost after 2 days' treatment. These findings demonstrate th e rapidity with which rifampicin-containing multidrug treatment is lik ely to reduce a patient's level of infection to their contacts.