Impact of annual targeted treatment on infectious trachoma and susceptibility to reinfection.

Context: The World Health Organization developed the SAFE strategy (Surgery for trichiasis; Antibiotics for Chlamydia trachomatis infection; Facial cleanliness; and Environmental improvement) to eliminate blinding trachoma globally by the year 2020. Despite a number of studies using various intervals of treatment for different prevalence rates, there has been a lack of sufficient follow-up beyond the final treatment point to determine rates of recurrence of disease and infection and the risk factors that may contribute to each.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of 2 annual targeted azithromycin treatments on active trachoma and C trachomatis infection rates over 3 years in Vietnam.