Abstract
The leprosy contact children, non-contact children and leprosy children patients under 10 years old in Thailand were subjected to physical examinations, Dharmendra and Tuberculin test. The reading of Dharmendra and Tuberculin reaction was performed at 48 hours after injection. The results are as follows.
1) Fourteen out of 287 children showed some clinical signs. Twelve children showed only the enlargment of nerve. Two children showed hypochromic macule.
2) The percentage of pisitivity of Dharmendra early reaction in leprosy contact children is higher than that of non-contact children.
3) Among leprosy contact children, the percentage of Dharmendra positivity in Phraeng Kayang Colony, in where bacilli negative patients are admitted, is lower than that of other institutions.
4) All the babies under 1 year old showed negative early reaction against Dharmendra antigen, and the children 1 year old showed remarkable positive reaction already.
5) Among leprosy contact children, Dharmendra reactions of female children are generally somewhat stronger than those of male children.
6) Dharmendra positive and Tuberculin negative children, or Dharmendra negative and Tuberculin positive children could be considerably found, but the number of children positive against both antigens is small.
7) The early Dharmendra and Tuberculin reaction are not correlated with each other in children under 10 years old.
8) The natural infection of tubercle bacilli does not cause the positive conversion of early Dharmendra reaction in the children under 10 years old.
9) Dharmendra positivity of children who react negatively against Tuberculin is due to the infection of leprosy bacilli.
10) In the children, the infection of leprosy bacilli causes the positive conversion of Dharmendra reaction, but does not cause that of Tuberculin reaction.
11) The infection of leprosy bacilli does not always cause the positive conversion of Dharmendra reaction.
12) The early Dharmendra reaction can be used for the epidemiological investigation.
13) BCG inoculation should be done in age as young as possible.
