Impact of community-based mass treatment for trachoma with oral azithromycin on general morbidity in Gambian children

The World Health Organization has recently targeted the elimination of trac homa as a public health problem by the year 2020. Community-based treatment with antibiotics, including oral azithromycin, is recommended for severely affected communities. The incidence of adverse effects after azithromycin treatment is not known in trachoma endemic communities. Methods. We compared the effects of azithromycin with those of topical tetr acycline given as mass treatment for trachoma on childhood morbidity in eig ht rural Gambian villages. The entire population of four villages received oral azithromycin suspension (Zithromax, Pfizer) in doses of 20 mg/kg on Da ys 1, 8 and 15; the other four villages received topical tetracycline eye o intment for 42 days. Morbidity surveys of subjects 3 months to 14 years old were conducted on Days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28. Results. Of the 804 subjects recruited complete follow-up data were availab le on 791 (412 azithromycin, 379 tetracycline). Fever and headache were the most common complaints. Apart from cough other symptoms were equally preva lent in both groups at baseline. The azithromycin group had 20% fewer illne ss, fever and headache episodes and 40% fewer diarrhea and vomiting episode s at follow-up than did the tetracycline group. Conclusions. Azithromycin treatment for trachoma had favorable short term e ffects on childhood morbidity in rural Gambian villages, particularly in th e high malaria transmission season, and adverse effects were not a problem.