Reduction of trachoma in a sub-Saharan village in absence of a disease control programme.
Lancet
; 349(9064): 1511-2, 1997 May 24.
Article
de En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-9167460
ABSTRACT
PIP: Trachoma, an eye infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, is a leading cause of blindness in developing countries. Risk factors include lack of facial cleanliness, poor access to water supplies, lack of latrines, and a large number of flies. Its prevalence is disproportionately high among women and children in poor rural communities. To assess trends in the prevalence of active inflammatory trachoma in Marakissa, a typical small rural village in the Gambia divided into family compounds, the results of eye examinations conducted in 1959, 1987, and 1996 were compared. Among children under 10 years of age, the prevalence of active trachoma infection dropped from 65.7 cases per 100 in 1959 to 2.4 per 100 in 1996. Declines were also recorded among children 10-19 years old (from 52.5 to 1.4/100) and among those 20 years and older (from 36.7 to 0 cases/100). This dramatic fall, which occurred without any specific trachoma control programs in the area, is presumed attributable to both improvements in socioeconomic standards and the training of village health workers and traditional birth attendants in eye care.
Mots clés
Africa; Africa South Of The Sahara; Biology; Chlamydia; Developing Countries; Diseases; Health; Infections; Longitudinal Studies; Measurement; Ophthalmological Effects; Physiology; Prevalence--changes; Public Health; Reproductive Tract Infections; Research Methodology; Research Report; Risk Factors; Sanitation--beneficial effects; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Studies
Recherche sur Google
Collection:
01-internacional
Base de données:
MEDLINE
Sujet principal:
Trachome
Type d'étude:
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limites:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Child
/
Humans
Pays/Région comme sujet:
Africa
Langue:
En
Journal:
Lancet
Année:
1997
Type de document:
Article
Pays d'affiliation:
Royaume-Uni