What causes blinding trachoma?

Trachoma is the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness of infectious origin 1. Caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, trachoma is easily spread through direct personal contact, shared towels and cloths, and flies that have come in contact with the eyes or nose of an infected person.

What is the meaning of the word trachoma?

Definition of trachoma : a chronic contagious bacterial conjunctivitis marked by inflammatory granulations on the conjunctival surfaces, caused by a chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis), and commonly resulting in blindness if left untreated.

Is trachoma the same as pink eye?

The term conjunctivitis is applied to any form of inflammatory, change affecting the conjunctiva, while trachoma is a variety of conjunctivitis, the full name of which is conjunctivitis trachoma- tosa.

What happens if you had trachoma in Ellis Island?

Immigrants arriving in the US on Ellis Island were checked for trachoma using a buttonhook to examine their eyelids – they often warned each other to ‘beware the buttonhook men’. Anyone found to have the disease was sent home or treated before being allowed into the country.

How do you get Chlamydia in your eye?

You can catch chlamydia of the eye when you rub fluids which contain the bacteria into your eye. This can happen if you have chlamydia and touch your eye after touching your genitals or those of an infected partner.

What happened to you if you had trachoma in Ellis Island?

Can trachoma cause ectropion?

It can be due to an eye infection, an eye injury, or problems after eye surgery. A bacterial infection called trachoma is a leading cause of this type of ectropion.

What is trachoma blindness?

Trachoma is a disease of the eye caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It is a public health problem in 44 countries, and is responsible for the blindness or visual impairment of about 1.9 million people. Based on March 2019 data, 142 million people live in trachoma endemic areas and are at risk of trachoma blindness.

What are some interesting facts about trachoma?

Key facts. Trachoma is a disease of the eye caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It is a public health problem in 44 countries, and is responsible for the blindness or visual impairment of about 1.9 million people.

What is the who grading system for blinding trachoma?

The World Health Organization created a grading system to classify the five stages of blinding trachoma, based on the clinical signs that are seen as the disease progresses.

What happens if Trachoma is not treated?

It can also be passed on by handling infected items, such as handkerchiefs. At first, trachoma may cause mild itching and irritation of your eyes and eyelids. Then you may notice swollen eyelids and pus draining from the eyes. Untreated trachoma can lead to blindness. Trachoma is the leading preventable cause of blindness worldwide.