Trachoma decline and widespread use of antimicrobial drugs.
Trachoma is disappearing in many parts of the world, even in the absence of specific control programs. Following mass antimicrobial drug treatments for trachoma in western Nepal, the prevalence of trachoma declined far more rapidly than could be attributed to the control program alone. Pharmacy surveys in the same region found that children received more antichlamydial drugs from sources outside the trachoma program than they did from the program itself. We demonstrate that high background antimicrobial drug use may be responsible for much of the observed decline in trachoma and discuss its potential role in eliminating this infectious disease.
Chidambaram
Jaya D
JD
University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Bird
Mariko
M
Schiedler
Vivian
V
Fry
Alicia M
AM
Porco
Travis
T
Bhatta
Ramesh C
RC
Jha
Hem
H
Chaudary
J S P
JS
Gaynor
Bruce
B
Yi
Elizabeth
E
Whitcher
John P
JP
Osaki-Holm
Susie
S
Lietman
Thomas M
TM
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D006801:Humans; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014141:Trachoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents