Mass Antibiotic Administration for Eradication of Ocular Chlamydia trachomatis

Mabey and Solomon comment on the study by Muluken Melese and colleagues regarding whether the effect of annual with twice yearly mass azithromycin treatment on the prevalence of ocular C trachomatis infection in 16 hyperendemic villages in Ethiopia and on the proportion of communities in which infection has been eradicated after 24 months. They assess that this is an important study for 2 reasons. First, they tell that it suggests that modeling can provide valuable information to guide program managers in developing plans for trachoma control. Second, it shows that more frequently administered mass treatment can eradicate infection even from severely affected communities.