%A Rodrigues MLO %A Silva S %A Neto JC %A Lú A %A Andrade cSS %A Martelli CMT %T Protective effect of intradermal BCG against leprosy; a case-control study in central Brazil %0 Journal Article %D 1992 %J International Journal of Leprosy and other Mycobacterial Diseases %P 0148-916X %V 60 %N 3 %X A case-control study was undertaken to evaluate the protective efficacy of intradermal BCG against leprosy in a high-endemic area of leprosy in central Brazil. Sixty-two cases and 186 controls were included in the study. Cases were all newly diagnosed leprosy patients under 16 years of age attending an outpatient health service, and all of them were schoolchildren. Three controls under 16 years old, frequency matched by sex and age group, were selected f rom schools geographically located in the area f rom which the cases came. The presence of BCG was negatively associated with leprosy, indicating a 5.3 risk of leprosy for those nonvaccinatcd and protective efficacy of 81%. Paucibacillary patients were more likely to have a BCG scar than multibacillary patients