Chlamydia trachomatis as a cause of trachoma

Abstract

Trachoma is keratoconjunctivitis caused by ocular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis. Endemic trachoma is caused by serovars A, B, Ba and C. Trachoma is probably the third most common cause of blindness worldwide, after cataracta and glaucoma. Active trachoma affects an estimated 84 million people; another 7.6 million have end-stage disease, of which about 1.3 million are blind. Most trachoma programmes use the WHO simplified grading system, by presence or absence of five clinical signs. The World Health Organization is leading a global effort to eliminate blinding trachoma by the year 2020, through the implementation of the SAFE strategy. This involves surgery for trichiasis (S-surgery), antibiotics for infection (A-antibiotic), facial cleanliness (F-face) and environmental improvements to reduce transmission of the organism (E-education). Treatment for trachoma includes local and systemic administration of appropriate antibiotics. Surgical correction of trachomatous trichiasis reduces the risk of progressive corneal opacification and blindness.