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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffTrachoma (truh-KO-muh) is a bacterial infection that affects the eyes. The bacterium that causes trachoma spreads through direct contact with the eyes, eyelids, nose or throat secretions of infected people. Trachoma is very contagious and almost always affects both eyes. Signs and symptoms of trachoma begin with mild itching and irritation of the eyes and eyelids and lead to blurred vision and eye pain. Untreated trachoma can lead to blindness.
Trachoma is the leading preventable cause of blindness worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 8 million people worldwide have been visually impaired by trachoma. In Western countries, few people know about the disease, but in the poorest countries in Africa, prevalence among children can reach 40 percent.
If treated early, the prognosis for people with trachoma is excellent.
- Trachoma. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/trachoma/en/index.html. Accessed May 20, 2010.
- What is trachoma? International Trachoma Initiative. http://www.trachoma.org/core/sub.php?cat=trachoma&id=trachoma. Accessed May 20, 2010.
- Conjunctivitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec09/ch101/ch101c.html#sec09-ch101-ch101c-273. Accessed May 20, 2010.
- WHO simplified trachoma grading system. Community Eye Health. 2004;17:52. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1705737. Accessed May 20, 2010.
- Wright HR. Epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of trachoma. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 20, 2010.
- Trachoma. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/trachoma_t.htm. Accessed May 20, 2010.
- Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 1, 2010.
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