This is the leading preventable infectious cause of blindness in the world
Name
Trachoma
Transmission
- Trachoma is a bacterial infection of the eye
- It spreads easily from person to person through contact with eyes, eyelids, nose, or throat secretions of infected people
- It also spreads through flies that come in contact with the eyes or nose of an infected person
- Handling infected items such as handkerchiefs or towels can also spread the bacteria that cause the disease
- It is very common in children
Geography
Worldwide (Africa is the most affected continent)
Incubation Period
5 – 12 days
Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms are very similar to the symptoms of conjunctivitis:
- Eye itching
- Eye irritation
- Swollen eyelids
- Eye discharge (mucus or pus)
- Eye pain
- Light sensitivity
Diagnosis
- Clinical diagnosis using wearable magnifying glasses is the most common way to diagnose
- Diagnosis is also made through laboratory testing of bacteria from the eye
Treatment
Antibiotics are used to treat the infection
Prognosis
- Untreated, it can lead to irreversible blindness
- Repeated infections make the eyelids turn inward. The eyelashes scrape and permanently scar the cornea which leads to blindness
- The infection is less frequent and lasts for a shorter amount of time in older people
Prevention: What Can You Do?
- Good personal hygiene
- Access to clean water and good sanitation systems
Trachoma In the News
- Morocco eliminates trachoma – the leading infectious cause of blindness
- Why is trachoma blinding Aboriginal children when mainstream Australia eliminated it 100 years ago?
Sources:
http://www.who.int/trachoma/disease/en/
http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/ntd/diseases/trachoma_burden.html
