title: Mass antibiotic treatment and community protection in trachoma control programs.
abstract: Azithromycin is highly effective against trachoma, but the practical difficulties of community-wide distribution often leave many individuals untreated. We demonstrate, after mass azithromycin treatment of a population in Ethiopia, an indirect protective effect that occurred among untreated children who resided in villages in which most individuals had been treated. Similarities with the indirect protection within a treated community (i.e., "herd protection") that has been observed in vaccination programs are discussed.
authors.affiliation: F. I. Proctor Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0944, USA.
authors.forename: Jaya D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Chidambaram
authors.forename: Muluken
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melese
authors.forename: Wondu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Alemayehu
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Tisha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Prabriputaloong
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Vicky
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cevallos
authors.forename: Zhaoxia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Whitcher
authors.forename: Bruce D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Gaynor
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lietman
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D016017:Odds Ratio; D014141:Trachoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin