For a 16 year period, from January 1968 until December 1983, 72 families with the
same illness in the direct family line were selected from leprosy patients receiving
out-patient treatment at the Chronic Disease Laboratory, Catholic Medical Centre.
According to the index case, they were divides into three groups-Group 1(fathers and
children), Group 2(mothers and children), Group 3(brothers and sisters) and, through a
comparison of serf, age, place of origin, order of contraction of the disease and type of
disease etc., the relationship with secondary case was observed and the following results
obtained.
1. According to the index case, the at)act rate of secondary case was seen to be 37.8%
in Group 1, 32.8% in Group 2 and 43.0% in Group 3, thus revealing that the attack rate
was slightly higher in the case of brothers and sisters than in the relationship with
parents. However, it would seem that there is no real significant difference.
2. In a comparison of male and female secondary case, the ratio was 1.5 to 1 in Group
1 and 3.0 to 1 in Group 2, thus showing that in the development of children, mothers
are closer to sons than fathers are to daughters and the degree of the relationship is
regarded as the cause of the difference.
3. In the case of members of Group 1,2 and 3 who were under the age of 40, there was
a tendency for the attack rate of secondary case to increase according to the age
increase and the frequency of and length of time of contact with the index case were
considered to be relevant.
4. In the order of place of origin, Kyeongsangdo, Chollado and Chungcheongdo, the
degree of the spread of leprosy was found to be highest in farming areas and it is
thought that malnutrition and poor hygiene are the causes of the attack rate.
5. Regarding the order of contraction of the disease, 77.8% of younger people were
found to be affected after older people and 22.2% of younger people first contracted the
disease and were followed by older people. However, the reverse affects can also be
observed.
6. In the index case of Groups 1,2 and 3, L-type patients had a high average of 75.0%
and secondary case T-type patients averaged 50.0%. In a comparison between family
members of leprosy patients and generally healthy persons who contracted the disease,
the likelihood of CMI(cell-mediated immunity) in leprosy patient families was seen to be
higher. According to the type of the disease in index case, the attack rate was relatively
high in B-group patients at 43.5% and L-type patients at 39.0%, while T-type patients
were 34.1%, thus showing no significant difference .
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