Trachoma and Flies: Individual vs Environmental Risk Factors

Ross J. Brechner, Sheila West, Matthew Lynch

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

The risk of active trachoma in children appears to be higher in association with flies in the environment. However, a measure of fly density that could consistently be related to an increased risk of trachoma is unknown. In a survey of six villages in a hyperendemic area of Tanzania, a comparison was made between the number of flies on the faces (face-fly scores) of children and the number of household flies around the main door-ways (household-fly scores). The risk of trachoma associated with each measure was evaluated after adjusting for the age and sex of the child. A multiple logistic regression model demonstrated that the presence of files on the face was consistently associated with increased risk of trachoma, and that number of flies on the face is a superior predictor in terms of ease of measurement and strength of association than is number of household flies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)687-689
Number of pages3
JournalArchives of ophthalmology
Volume110
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1992
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ophthalmology

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