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Forward Genetic Approaches in Chlamydia trachomatis
Published on: October 23, 2013
Mass antibiotic treatment and community protection in trachoma control programs
Jaya D Chidambaram1, Muluken Melese, Wondu Alemayehu
1F. I. Proctor Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0944, USA.
Abstract:
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.
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