Trachoma infection has five distinct stages, but those who are treated early will not progress through all of them. Trachoma is prevalent in impoverished and more rural areas in Africa, Asia, Australia, Central and South America and the Middle East, where crowded living conditions and poor hygiene due to limited (or no) access to clean water can put people at risk of spreading infection.Īge may also play a role, since children ages 4 to 9 are more likely to get trachoma infection than teenagers and adults. Your doctor will also consider your risk factors for trachoma - for instance, if you have recently traveled to one of the places where trachoma is common. It's impossible to tell just based on symptoms whether someone has trachoma, as symptoms are quite similar to those of other eye conditions, such as conjunctivitis (pink eye).Īn eye doctor can diagnose trachoma by doing an eye exam and possibly sending a fluid sample from the eye to a laboratory for trachoma testing. Trachoma symptoms typically start between five and 12 days after contracting the infection. SEE RELATED: Chlamydial conjunctivitis Trachoma symptoms In general, good hygiene practices, including face and hand washing, may help prevent trachoma infection. This requires available eye exams and medical treatment, access to clean drinking and bathing water, and fly control and waste management. Handling a contaminated object and then touching your faceīecause it can cause irreversible blindness, trachoma prevention is a serious public health issue. Kissing, hugging or any face-to-face contactĬoming in contact with certain flies that spread the bacteria Some of the most common ways trachoma is transmitted include the following: This bacteria is transmitted by direct or indirect contact with bodily fluids from the eye, nose or mouth of someone who is infected. Trachoma is caused by the highly contagious Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria. It’s important to diagnose and treat trachoma promptly, as chronic trachoma infection can cause scarring on the eyelids and lead to irreversible blindness or vision loss. In the early stages of infection, trachoma can be cured with antibiotics, but people going through the later stages of the disease may require surgery as well. The infection is rare in the United States, though it’s a common public health problem in 44 countries. Trachoma is a serious bacterial infection of the eyes and one of the top causes of blindness in the world.
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