Analysis of the detection coefficient for the association between leprosy and pregnancy in the integration region of Carajás, State of Pará, Brazil.

INTRODUCTION The association between leprosy and pregnancy is currently poorly understood and has been linked to serious clinical consequences. METHODS A retrospective study between 2007 and 2009 was performed in the integration region of Carajás, Brazil on a population of pregnant lepers, with non-lepers of ages 12-49 years serving as the reference population. RESULTS Twenty-nine pregnant lepers were studied during the study period. The detection rates (DRs) for the studied association were 4.7 in 2007, 9.4 in 2008, and 4.3 in 2009. CONCLUSIONS The Carajás region presented a medium pattern of endemicity during most of the study period, with a high DR found in 2008.