Study findings are reported in the August 21st issue of the British medical journal, The Lancet. Researchers compared the effect of the two antibiotic regimens on infection rates in villages located in trachoma endemic areas where transmission of infection is high. The villages were in the African countries of Egypt, The Gambia, and Tanzania. Trachoma occurs when the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis infects the inner eyelid. The disease persists in staggering numbers in developing countries because of lack of medical attention, poor personal hygiene, and environmental conditions.
Infection usually begins in childhood, and without proper treatment, scarring occurs.
After repeated episodes, the scarring causes the eyelid to contract and turn inward. With every blink, the eyelashes damage the cornea, eventually leading to blindness. Since the 1950s, the standard treatment for trachoma has been daily application of tetracycline ointment in the inflamed eye for six weeks. In the current study, the research team compared this standard topical regimen with three doses of oral azithromycin at one-week intervals. Results showed infection rates after one year decreased from 60 to 90 percent with azithromycin, which was greater than the decrease seen after tetracycline treatment.