Mass antibiotic treatment and community protection in trachoma control programs.
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.
Chidambaram
Jaya D
JD
F. I. Proctor Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0944, USA.
Melese
Muluken
M
Alemayehu
Wondu
W
Yi
Elizabeth
E
Prabriputaloong
Tisha
T
Lee
David C
DC
Cevallos
Vicky
V
Zhou
Zhaoxia
Z
Whitcher
John P
JP
Gaynor
Bruce D
BD
Lietman
Thomas M
TM
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*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin