Reemergence of Trachoma in Mexico

Abstract

Purpose: : The PAHO reported that Mexico has one state with large marginalized and indigenous people, with 439 cases of trachoma.^1,2 In our institute was detected follicular conjunctivitis increased from 2008 and trachoma cases were diagnosed in 2009 and 2010, these cases do not coincide with clinical features and areas of origin described at national or international level.³ 1. http://www.ganarsalud.com/news2/news.php?newsid=225; 2. http://www.mex.ops-oms.org/contenido/tracoma/sitmex.htm; 3. Burton MJ, Mabey DCW (2009). PLoS Negl Trop Dis 3(10): e460. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000460. Purpose: To describe the presentation form of cases of a disease without incidence previously known.

Methods: : Conjunctival scraping samples of superior tarsal conjunctiva, from patients diagnosed with Chronic Follicular Conjunctivitis (CFC), were processed by PCR to identify Chlamydia sp. Differences between proportions were determined using the X².

Results: : Deliberate search was made for differential diagnosis of trachoma, 5 of 9 cases showed active phase in 2009. The cases increased to 57 in 2010, of which were 45 confirmed as active phase (p <0.001). The central-east zone, concentrate the majority of cases (87.5%). This population has 32,184 139 inhabitants (31%) of the national population. All patients came from urban areas and none of these patients had a history of access or contact with areas or people from endemic trachoma area. The patients were mainly women (62.5%) with average age 45 ± 21. They have university degree except two cases. The primary diagnosis (57.5%) was CFC. The 97.5% of patients was previously treated with antibiotics. The most common signs and symptoms were: the follicles and mucopurulent secretion.

Conclusions: : Our data correspond to a passive surveillance hence we estimated there are at least 50% of cases not reported and being trachoma a longstanding condition, there are more cases treated as another form of conjunctivitis.

Keywords: trachoma • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: biostatistics/epidemiology methodology • bacterial disease