Genetic, household and spatial clustering of leprosy on an island in Indonesia: a population-based study
- Authors
- M.I. Bakker, L. May, M. Hatta, A. Kwenang, P.R. Klatser, L. Oskam, J.J. Houwing-Duistermaat
It is generally accepted that genetic factors play a role in susceptibility to both leprosy per se and leprosy type, but only few studies have tempted to quantify this. Estimating the contribution of genetic factors to clustering of leprosy within families is difficult since these persons often share the same environment. The first aim of this study was to test which correlation structure (genetic, household or spatial) gives the best explanation for the distribution of leprosy patients and seropositive persons and second to quantify the role of genetic factors in the occurrence of leprosy and seropositivity.
