Serological Responses to Trachoma Antigens prior to the Start of Mass Drug Administration: Results from Population-Based Baseline Surveys, North Darfur, Sudan.

ABSTRACT: After years of programmatic inaccessibility, in 2019-2020 the Sudan Federal Ministry of Health Trachoma Control Program conducted population-based trachoma surveys in three localities (districts) in North Darfur state, Sudan. These baseline surveys were to determine the prevalence of trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) among children aged 1-9 years and to further use serological markers to understand the historical trachoma burden within this mass drug administration (MDA)-naive area. Trained and certified graders collected trachoma clinical data, and trained nurses collected dried blood spot (DBS) samples. The DBSs were assayed on a multiplex bead array for antibody responses to the Chlamydia trachomatis antigens Pgp3 and CT694. Across the three localities, 3,613 individuals aged 1-

SUBMITTER: Sanders AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11374501 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature