Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) was determined in 216 Brazilian lepromatous patients (83 outpatients and 133 institutionalized). The overall prevalence was 1.8% after confirmatory tests. No difference in the HCV infection was found between outpatients and institutionalized ones. Our results from this region of Central Brazil are lower than those found in leprosy patients in Africa and in Japan.