title: [Trachoma epidemiological school survey in the city of Embu das Artes--SP].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the trachoma prevalence in school children in Embu das Artes - SP, aiming the implementation of the disease epidemiological surveillance.
  
  
  METHODS
  The city of Embu das Artes - SP, is 25 km far from the capital of the State. In the years of 2003-2004, a trachoma survey was conducted in a cluster sample of school children with the same methodology of the national trachoma student's survey of the Ministry of Health. Previously to the trachoma active search, activities of health education were performed in all schools. External ocular examinations were done in all students to detect trachoma according to the WHO criteria. All cases of trachoma were notified and their families were submitted to an external ocular examination. The cases were treated with 1% tetracycline ointment or systemic azithromycin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  2,374 students from nine sampled selected public schools were examined. The prevalence of follicular inflammatory trachoma (TF) was 3.1% (IC 95%: 2.4-3.9), varying from 0.5% to 4.2% in the examined schools. The prevalence for males was 3.2% and for females was 3.0%. The greater prevalence (8.6%) was found in 6 year-old children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The disease showed a mild behavior in this city, because no cases of intense inflammatory trachoma or cicatricial trachoma were detected. However, the prevalence was greater than the one found in the city of São Paulo. Epidemiological surveillance activities of trachoma must be continuous, mainly in places where the greater prevalence had been found.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Tracoma e Hanseníase Ocular, Secretaria Municipal de Embu das Artes - Embu das Artes (SP), Brasil. paulo.antonio31@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Paulo Antonio
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Caninéo
authors.forename: Shizuko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Norma Helen
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: Inês Kazue
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Koizumi
authors.forename: Maria Regina Alves
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cardoso
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D013334:Students; D014141:Trachoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*