Transcript Trachoma
Biology 402
Daniella DiNizo
What is Trachoma?
Infectious eye disease
Leading cause of
blindness globally
Disease of poverty
Neglected tropical
disease
History of Trachoma
One of the earliest
recorded eye afflictions
Soldiers
Immigrants through Ellis
Island
Disappeared from the
industrial world
Still plagues poorest
regions of developing
world
Epidemiology
84 million infected
8 million visually impaired
1995 – 15% of blindness;
2002 – 3.6% of blindness
Most common among pre-school
children
Causes
Chlamydia trachomatis
Associated factors
Access to water
Access to bathrooms
Sanitation/ Hygiene
Flies
Overcrowding
Poverty
Transmission
Primary
Person to person
Direct contact with
ocular, nasal, and
respiratory
secretions
Transmission
Secondary
Insect Vectors
The Eye
Stages 1 and 2 – Active Trachoma
TF - Trachomatous
inflammation follicular
TI – Trachomatous
inflammation intense
Infection – Stage 3
Trachomatous Scarring
(TS)
Scarring of the tarsal
conjunctiva
Eyelids turning inward
may begin
Infection – Stage 4
Trachomatous trichiasis
(TT)
Ingrown eyelashes
touching the cornea
Infection – Stage 5
Corneal opacity (CO)
Clouding over of the
cornea
Blindness
Social Implications
Global loss of
productivity
Women
Cooking
Water
Family
Effect on children
Cycle of poverty
Treatment
Azithromycin
Tetracycline ointment
Eyelid Surgery
Resistance?
SAFE strategy – Surgery/ Antibiotics
Surgery
People with risk of
blindness
Reduce discomfort
Improve vision
Antibiotics
For active infections
Who?/ When?
SAFE Strategy - Facial Cleanliness/
Environmental Changes
Facial Cleanliness
Good facial hygiene
Washing daily
Environmental Changes
Water
Bathrooms
Flies
Interventions have not
been as successful as
expected
Future Directions
Global Elminiation of blinding Trachoma by 2020
(GET2020)
Emphasis on FE of SAFE strategy
Research
Global Awareness
Without these steps Trachoma will continue to be a
major cause of blindness in the developing world.
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mages/trachoma1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://
webpages.scu.edu/ftp/mrzhao/trachoma
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/Files/Maps/global%20active%20may%2
02006.jpg
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ma/trachoma.htm#sect3