Study: Giving an antibiotic to household contacts of people with leprosy slashes chances of spread
In a new trial, providing contacts of people with leprosy with a single dose of an antibiotic typically used to treat tuberculosis drastically reduced the risk of spread, researchers reported…
When someone has leprosy, people who live in the same household face the highest odds of contracting the infection. But in a new trial, providing those contacts with a single dose of an antibiotic typically used to treat tuberculosis drastically reduced that risk, researchers reported Wednesday.
The trial, which took place in China, corroborates the idea of giving close contacts an antibiotic as a way to reduce the likelihood that the disease spreads, experts said. Moreover, the trial showed that the antibiotic, rifapentine, was an even more effective form of what’s known as “post-exposure prophylaxis,” or PEP, than another antibiotic, rifampin, which is typically distributed to contacts of people with leprosy under current World Health Organization guidelines.
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