This work is a report of a research carried out in the Sanitary Dermatology -Leprosy area of the Health Centers from the Regional Health Department of Ribeirão Preto, State Health Bureau of São Paulo State. The investigation pointed out the knowledge of nursing personal which directly operated in the área, establishing that the correct knowledge ranged from 86,8% to 60,4% for "notions on the illness" and "notions on experiments and tests" items, having the complete answers also presented coefficient superior to the incomplete ones. However, the number of "wrong" and "doesn't know" answers were significant, according to the classification carried through each item.
Hansen's disease; Public health nursing; Nursing staff