Estimating household and community transmission of ocular Chlamydia trachomatis.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Community-wide administration of antibiotics is one arm of a four-pronged strategy in the global initiative to eliminate blindness due to trachoma. The potential impact of more efficient, targeted treatment of infected households depends on the relative contribution of community and household transmission of infection, which have not previously been estimated.

Methods

A mathematical model of the household transmission of ocular Chlamydia trachomatis was fit to detailed demographic and prevalence data from four endemic populations in The Gambia and Tanzania. Maximum likelihood estimates of the household and community transmission coefficients were obtained.

Results

The estimated household transmission coefficient exceeded both the community transmission co

SUBMITTER: Blake IM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2655714 | biostudies-literature | 2009

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature