01765nas a2200277   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001200055653002000067653000900087653001100096653002300107653001200130653001300142653000900155653003200164653002500196653001500221653001800236100001800254245002500272300000800297490000700305520116100312022001401473       1994                            d  c1994 Jun10aAnimals10aEarly diagnosis10aFoot10aHumans10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aMalaysia10aMice10aMicrobial Sensitivity Tests10aMycobacterium leprae10aPrevalence10aPublic health1 aJayalakshmi P00aLeprosy in Malaysia.  a7-90 v163 a<p>Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease and is still a public health problem in Malaysia. In 1926, the Leper Enactment Act was established which required compulsory notification and isolation of leprosy patients. As a result, the National Leprosy Control Centre (NLCC) was built in Sungai Buloh, Selangor. In 1969, the National Leprosy Control programme was launched with the objective of early case finding and decentralisation of treatment of leprosy. The treatment of leprosy patients is integrated with basic Medical and Health services in Malaysia. With the implementation of multiple drug therapy in 1985, the National prevalence rate of leprosy has reduced from 5.7 per 10,000 in 1983 to 1.7 per 10,000 in 1992. The Research Unit in NLCC was established in 1950, where cultivation of Mycobacterium leprae using mouse foot-pad technique is done. This technique is used for assessment of efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents in leprosy. Research activites are also done in collaboration with the Institute for Medical Research in Kuala Lumpur such as isolation of Mycobacterium leprae antigen using T cell clones and phenolic glycolipid antigen.</p>  a0126-8635