Takele Lakew|Jenafir House|Kevin C. Hong|Elizabeth Yi|Wondu Alemayehu|Muluken Melese|Zhaoxia Zhou|Kathryn J. Ray|Stephanie Chin|E. Hernandez Romero|Jeremy D. Keenan|John P. Whitcher|Bruce D. Gaynor|Thomas M. Lietman
Reduction and Return of Infectious Trachoma in Severely Affected Communities in Ethiopia
International Trachoma Initiative|San Francisco Foundation|University of California, San Francisco|San Francisco Foundation|University of California, San Francisco|San Francisco Foundation|University of California, San Francisco|International Trachoma Initiative|International Trachoma Initiative|San Francisco Foundation|University of California, San Francisco|San Francisco Foundation|University of California, San Francisco|San Francisco Foundation|University of California, San Francisco|San Francisco Foundation|University of California, San Francisco|University of California, San Francisco|San Francisco Foundation|San Francisco Foundation|University of California, San Francisco|Global Brain Health Institute|San Francisco Foundation|University of California, San Francisco|San Francisco Foundation|University of California, San Francisco|Global Brain Health Institute
antibiotics major tool whos trachoma control program even single mass distribution reduces prevalence ocular chlamydia causes trachoma unfortunately infection returns single treatment least severely affected areas test whether additional scheduled treatments reduce infection whether infection returns distributions discontinuedsixteen communities ethiopia randomly selected ocular chlamydial infection 1 5yearold children monitored four biannual azithromycin distributions 24 months last treatmentthe average prevalence infection 1 5yearold children reduced 635 pretreatment 115 six months first distribution p00001 decreased 26 six months fourth final treatment p 00004 next 18 months infection returned 252 significant increase six months last treatment p 0008 still far lower baseline p00001 although prevalence infection particular village fluctuated mean prevalence 16 villages steadily decreased treatment steadily returned treatments discontinuedin severely affected communities ever studied demonstrate repeated mass oral azithromycin distributions progressively reduce ocular chlamydial infection community long distributions given frequently enough high enough coverage however infection returns communities last treatment sustainable changes complete local elimination infection necessaryclinicaltrialsgov nct00221364