Trachoma Elimination Follow-up

Summary

The WHO has initiated a program to eliminate blinding trachoma by the year 2020, in large part by mass oral azithromycin distributions. It is not clear how frequently or for how long these treatments are necessary. Here we assess the frequency and duration of treatment.

Timeline

Start

2003-03

Primary completion

2005-04

Completion

2005-04

Publications

• Background Melese M, Chidambaram JD, Alemayehu W, Lee DC, Yi EH, Cevallos V, Zhou Z, Donnellan C, Saidel M, Whitcher JP, Gaynor BD, Lietman TM. Feasibility of eliminating ocular Chlamydia trachomatis with repeat mass antibiotic treatments. JAMA. 2004 Aug 11;292(6):721-5. doi: 10.1001/jama.292.6.721.
• Background Chidambaram JD, Melese M, Alemayehu W, Yi E, Prabriputaloong T, Lee DC, Cevallos V, Zhou Z, Whitcher JP, Gaynor BD, Lietman TM. Mass antibiotic treatment and community protection in trachoma control programs. Clin Infect Dis. 2004 Nov 1;39(9):e95-7. doi: 10.1086/424747. Epub 2004 Oct 6.
• Background Ray KJ, Porco TC, Hong KC, Lee DC, Alemayehu W, Melese M, Lakew T, Yi E, House J, Chidambaram JD, Whitcher JP, Gaynor BD, Lietman TM. A rationale for continuing mass antibiotic distributions for trachoma. BMC Infect Dis. 2007 Aug 7;7:91. doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-7-91.
• Background Lee S, Alemayehu W, Melese M, Lakew T, Lee D, Yi E, Cevallos V, Donnellan C, Zhou Z, Chidambaram JD, Gaynor BD, Whitcher JP, Lietman TM. Chlamydia on children and flies after mass antibiotic treatment for trachoma. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2007 Jan;76(1):129-31.
• Background Chidambaram JD, Alemayehu W, Melese M, Lakew T, Yi E, House J, Cevallos V, Zhou Z, Maxey K, Lee DC, Shapiro BL, Srinivasan M, Porco T, Whitcher JP, Gaynor BD, Lietman TM. Effect of a single mass antibiotic distribution on the prevalence of infectious trachoma. JAMA. 2006 Mar 8;295(10):1142-6. doi: 10.1001/jama.295.10.1142.
• Background Haug S, Lakew T, Habtemariam G, Alemayehu W, Cevallos V, Zhou Z, House J, Ray K, Porco T, Rutar T, Keenan J, Lietman TM, Gaynor BD. The decline of pneumococcal resistance after cessation of mass antibiotic distributions for trachoma. Clin Infect Dis. 2010 Sep 1;51(5):571-4. doi: 10.1086/655697.
• Background Shah NA, House J, Lakew T, Alemayehu W, Halfpenny C, Hong KC, Keenan JD, Porco TC, Whitcher JP, Lietman TM, Gaynor BD. Travel and implications for the elimination of trachoma in ethiopia. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2010 Mar;17(2):113-7. doi: 10.3109/09286581003624921.
• Background Keenan JD, Lakew T, Alemayehu W, Melese M, Porco TC, Yi E, House JI, Zhou Z, Ray KJ, Acharya NR, Whitcher JP, Gaynor BD, Lietman TM. Clinical activity and polymerase chain reaction evidence of chlamydial infection after repeated mass antibiotic treatments for trachoma. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2010 Mar;82(3):482-7. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2010.09-0315.
• Background Biebesheimer JB, House J, Hong KC, Lakew T, Alemayehu W, Zhou Z, Moncada J, Roger A, Keenan J, Gaynor BD, Schachter J, Lietman TM. Complete local elimination of infectious trachoma from severely affected communities after six biannual mass azithromycin distributions. Ophthalmology. 2009 Nov;116(11):2047-50. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2009.04.041. Epub 2009 Sep 10.
• Background Lakew T, Alemayehu W, Melese M, Yi E, House JI, Hong KC, Zhou Z, Ray KJ, Porco TC, Gaynor BD, Lietman TM, Keenan JD. Importance of coverage and endemicity on the return of infectious trachoma after a single mass antibiotic distribution. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2009 Aug 25;3(8):e507. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000507.
• Background Lakew T, House J, Hong KC, Yi E, Alemayehu W, Melese M, Zhou Z, Ray K, Chin S, Romero E, Keenan J, Whitcher JP, Gaynor BD, Lietman TM. Reduction and return of infectious trachoma in severely affected communities in Ethiopia. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2009;3(2):e376. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000376. Epub 2009 Feb 3.
• Background Hong KC, Schachter J, Moncada J, Zhou Z, House J, Lietman TM. Lack of macrolide resistance in Chlamydia trachomatis after mass azithromycin distributions for trachoma. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 Jul;15(7):1088-90. doi: 10.3201/eid1507.081563.
• Background Yang JL, Hong KC, Schachter J, Moncada J, Lekew T, House JI, Zhou Z, Neuwelt MD, Rutar T, Halfpenny C, Shah N, Whitcher JP, Lietman TM. Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis ocular infection in trachoma-endemic communities by rRNA amplification. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009 Jan;50(1):90-4. doi: 10.1167/iovs.08-2247. Epub 2008 Aug 8.
• Background Melese M, Alemayehu W, Lakew T, Yi E, House J, Chidambaram JD, Zhou Z, Cevallos V, Ray K, Hong KC, Porco TC, Phan I, Zaidi A, Gaynor BD, Whitcher JP, Lietman TM. Comparison of annual and biannual mass antibiotic administration for elimination of infectious trachoma. JAMA. 2008 Feb 20;299(7):778-84. doi: 10.1001/jama.299.7.778.
• Background Gill DA, Lakew T, Alemayehu W, Melese M, Zhou Z, House JI, Hong KC, Ray KJ, Gandhi N, Whitcher JP, Gaynor BD, Lietman TM. Complete elimination is a difficult goal for trachoma programs in severely affected communities. Clin Infect Dis. 2008 Feb 15;46(4):564-6. doi: 10.1086/526777.
• Background Keenan JD, Lakew T, Alemayehu W, Melese M, House JI, Acharya NR, Porco TC, Gaynor BD, Lietman TM. Slow resolution of clinically active trachoma following successful mass antibiotic treatments. Arch Ophthalmol. 2011 Apr;129(4):512-3. doi: 10.1001/archophthalmol.2011.46. No abstract available.
• Cevallos V, Whitcher JP, Melese M, Alemayehu W, Yi E, Chidambaram JD, Lee S, Reddy H, Gaynor BD, Lietman TM, Keenan JD. Association of conjunctival bacterial infection and female sex in cicatricial trachoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012 Aug 7;53(9):5208-12. doi: 10.1167/iovs.12-9984.
• See CW, Alemayehu W, Melese M, Zhou Z, Porco TC, Shiboski S, Gaynor BD, Eng J, Keenan JD, Lietman TM. How reliable are tests for trachoma?--a latent class approach. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011 Aug 3;52(9):6133-7. doi: 10.1167/iovs.11-7419.

Drugs

Indications