Health Programs

How is trachoma transmitted from person to person?

Young children bear the heaviest burden of trachoma infections and are the main source of infection for other people. Transmission takes place when the bacteria move from the eyes of young children to the eyes of an uninfected person through several different ways: flies, touching eyes, mothers' shawls, bed sheets, pillows, and towels.

Transmitting trachoma through flies, faces, and feces

The fly that transmits trachoma, Musca sorbens, breeds in feces, especially in human feces lying in the shade on the soil surface. Where Musca sorbens is present in trachoma-endemic areas, steps to minimize fly-eye contact and reduce breeding opportunities by disposing of feces properly are taken.

To address the need for improved sanitation, the Carter Center's Trachoma Control Program began constructing household latrines in early 2002. Because latrines are not a suitable habitat for Musca sorbens to breed, they help to reduce the population of trachoma vectors. The Center trains masons, provides materials, and supervises the construction of these latrines as well as educates communities on their proper use.

Today, hundreds of thousands of latrines have been built with support from The Carter Center. They are a source of empowerment for women - who in some cultures wait until dark to defecate for privacy - and a source of pride for communities who have seen their standard of living improve with better sanitation.

Read about our work in Latrine Program a Hit:  Project Deals With Health, Gender from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Transmitting trachoma through touching eyes

Children touch their faces and rub their eyes much more frequently than adults do. Children usually touch their faces when they are irritated by dirt, dust, and flies. All of the Carter Center's trachoma control programs promote good hygiene practices including hand and face washing.

Transmitting trachoma through shawls, bed sheets, pillows, towels
and washcloths

Mothers like to keep their children's faces clean by wiping them. In most countries, the mother uses her own clothes to do this. The bacteria that cause trachoma are often present in the discharge from the eyes and nose and can be spread to another child like this. Additionally, because children in a household often share the same bed, bed sheets and pillows may become infectious agents if a child with active trachoma uses them. Sharing face-washing cloths or towels can also lead to transmission of trachoma. This may contribute to high levels of infection in a family or even within a school or other group of people who share washing facilities.