VIGILÂNCIA SANITÁRIA E ESTRUTURA SOCIAL

Abstract

The A. tried to Iocate 171 contacts of leprosy whose records dated from 1924-1927. These patients had no clinicai signs and were considered "latents cases" of leprosy; 124 had the nasal mucous positive for acid fast bacilli; in 28-liquid material obtained from lymphatic glands was positive; nearly ali the patients had hypertrophy of lymphatic glands and a few had Gomes serum test positive. In 1954 the Departamento de Profilaxia da Lepra (D.P.L.) supplied the following data o f these patients: 12 became ill; 69 continued healthy contacts; 90 were not localized. Two interesting facts are evident by the figures: a) The small percentage of patients that became ill despite the fact that indication they would become sick was strong. b) The ways of fighting the disease (hospitais, treatment etc.) were not available. The first hospital for leper cases was open in 1927. Contributing factors as malnutrition, poor sanitation, etc., suffered little variation. Contributing factors as malnutrition, poor sanitation, etc., suffered little variation. The A. studies, briefly, the socio-economic status of the city of São Paulo, the cases were from. The rapid industrial development following World War I without simultaneous labor legislation, assistance to the workers etc. accounted for the poor follow up of the contacts, who moved according to their conveniences, without reporting to the D.P.L.. Since 1930, after the organization of the Ministry of Labor and the Institutes to help professional groups, a better follow up was possible. The A. feels that the chek up should be done jointly by the Institutes and the Department of Leprosy.