Trachoma and antibiotic use: the ’A‘ in SAFE

Abstract

Trachoma, a chronic conjunctivitis caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. In recognition of this public health problem, the World Health Assembly has targeted the year 2020 to eliminate blinding trachoma, and a multifaceted strategy (SAFE) is recommended, including antibiotics for treatment of infection. Trachoma is a disease of entire communities, and the pool of infection resides largely in preschool age children. Thus, for endemic communities, mass treatment with antibiotics annually for at least 3–5 years is carried out. The antibiotics used, the effectiveness of this approach, and the challenges of antibiotic treatment of communities are discussed, concluding with a view towards the elimination of trachoma in the future.

Keywords::

• azithromycin
• Chlamydia trachomatis
• mass treatment
• neglected tropical disease
• tetracycline
• trachoma

Financial & competing interests disclosure

S West received a Senior Scientific Award from Research to Prevent Blindness. This work was supported in part by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The author currently serves on the Technical Expert Committee and receives an honorarium from the International Trachoma Initiative, which receives funds from Pfizer, Inc. for managing the azithromycin donation program. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.