E. Mahmoud et al., SEROEPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY OF CHLAMYDIA-PNEUMONIAE AND OTHER CHLAMYDIAL SPECIES IN A HYPERENDEMIC AREA FOR TRACHOMA IN THE SUDAN, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 51(4), 1994, pp. 489-494
Citations number
20
Categorie Soggetti
Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath","Tropical Medicine
Sera of inhabitants of Angola village in central Sudan were investigat
ed for the prevalence of antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis, C. pneum
oniae, and C. psittaci by the microimmunofluorescence (MIF) test. Clin
ical examination of 616 persons showed that the village is hyperendemi
c for trachoma. Of the 448 children examined, 334 (75%) had signs of a
ctive trachoma. The corresponding prevalence in the 168 adults was 25%
. Using MIF, antibodies to C. trachomatis were found in the sera of 27
(81%) children and of 37 (88%) adults with trachoma. Antibodies to C.
pneumoniae occurred in 13% and 24% of the preschool and school tracho
matous children, respectively, and in 64% of the adults, which reflect
s earlier exposure to C. pneumonia in the Sudan than generally reporte
d from temperate zones. Antibodies to C. psittaci were found in 6% of
the children less than 16 years old and in 17% of the adults. Of the p
atients with trachoma, 16% had antibodies to both C. trachomatis and C
. pneumoniae. The prevalence of multiple antibodies to Chlamydia incre
ased with age. Antibodies to all three species occurred in 3% of the p
atients. The study does not support the existence of protective immuni
ty between C. pneumoniae, C. trachomatis, and C. psittaci, as shown by
the high prevalence of chlamydial antibodies in the hyperendemic trac
homa community studied.