@article{99178,
  keywords = {Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, General Medicine, Health (social science)},
  author = {Atekem K and Harding-Esch EM and Martin DL and Downs P and Palmer SL and Kaboré A and Kelly M and Bovary A and Sarr A and Nguessan K and James F and Gwyn S and Wickens K and Bakhtiari A and Boyd S and Aba A and Senyonjo L and Courtright P and Meite A},
  title = {High prevalence of trachomatous inflammation–follicular with no trachomatous trichiasis: can alternative indicators explain the epidemiology of trachoma in Côte d’Ivoire?},
  abstract = {<p>Baseline trachoma surveys in Côte d'Ivoire (2019) identified seven evaluation units (EUs) with a trachomatous inflammation–follicular (TF) prevalence ≥10%, but a trachomatous trichiasis (TT) prevalence in individuals ≥15&nbsp;y of age below the elimination threshold (0.2%). Two of these EUs, Bondoukou 1 and Bangolo 2, were selected for a follow-up survey to understand the epidemiology of trachoma using additional indicators of Chlamydia trachomatis infection (DNA from conjunctival swabs) and exposure (anti-Pgp3 and Ct694 antibodies from dried blood spots [DBSs]). A two-stage cluster sampling methodology was used to select villages and households. All individuals 1–9&nbsp;y of age from each selected household were recruited, graded for trachoma and had a conjunctival swab and DBS collected. Conjunctival swabs and DBSs were tested using Cepheid GeneXpert and a multiplex bead assay, respectively. The age-adjusted TF and infection prevalence in 1- to 9-year-olds was &amp;lt;1% and &amp;lt;0.3% in both EUs. Age-adjusted seroprevalence was 5.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5 to 15.6) in Bondoukou 1 and 8.2% (95% CI 4.3 to 13.7) in Bangolo 2. The seroconversion rate for Pgp3 was low, at 1.23 seroconversions/100 children/year (95% CI 0.78 to 1.75) in Bondoukou 1 and 1.91 (95% CI 1.58 to 2.24) in Bangolo 2. Similar results were seen for CT694. These infection, antibody and clinical data provide strong evidence that trachoma is not a public health problem in either EU.</p>
},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {International Health},
  volume = {15},
  pages = {ii3-ii11},
  publisher = {Oxford University Press (OUP)},
  issn = {1876-3413, 1876-3405},
  url = {https://academic.oup.com/inthealth/article-pdf/15/Supplement_2/ii3/53979179/ihad069.pdf},
  doi = {10.1093/inthealth/ihad069},
  language = {eng},
}