Outcome of azithromycin treatment of active trachoma in Omani schoolchildren

ABSTRACT

A prospective cohort study was made of 386 first-grade primary-school children in Oman with active trachoma and 386 matched controls without trachoma. All children were educated about trachoma prevention. In addition, trachoma cases were treated with a single dose of oral azithromycin [20 mg/kg]. Trachoma status was evaluated after 6 weeks, 6 months and 12 months. The follicles and inflammatory signs of active trachoma resolved 6 weeks or more after azithromycin treatment. The protection against subsequent trachoma infection cycles was optimal at 6 months [85.2% of cases, 99.0% of controls infection-free] but declined at 12 months [66.7% of cases, 98.2% of controls infection-free]. Clinical evaluation seems to be a useful tool to evaluate the response of azithromycin to active trachoma cases in schoolchildren in a country with limited resources