Trachoma
From IDWiki
Background
- Neonatal infection with Chlamydia trachomatis leading to blindness
- Caused by serotypes A, B, Ba, and C
- Most common infectious cause of blindness worldwide
Clinica Manifestations
- Starts with conjunctivitis, but eyelids turn inwards (entropion), and the inward-turned eyelashes (trichiasis) cause ulceration and scarring of the cornea, leading to blindness
Management
- SAFE (per WHO)
- Surgery to trichiasis
- Antibiotics for active infection
- Facial cleanliness
- Environmental improvement
- Antibiotics
- Oral erythromycin or tetracycline for 3 to 4 weeks, followed by topical treatment for 6 months
Prevention
- Depends on local prevalence
- Can do mass treatment with azithromycin annually for three years if the prevalence is greater than 10% in children under 10