HIV-INFECTION AND LEPROSY - A 4-YEAR SURVEY IN ETHIOPIA

Between 1988 and 1992 three cross-sectional surveys for antibodies to HIV were done in 644 Ethiopian patients with histologically proven lep rosy. Whereas the frequency of HIV-1 infection gradually increased fro m 3.2% to 6.5%, the clinical presentation, number of new patients, and frequency of relapse did not differ between HIV negative and positive patients. Thus HIV appears unlikely to have a significant impact on t he incidence of leprosy in sub-Sahelian populations.