trachoma

Chronic eye infection, resembling severe conjunctivitis. The conjunctiva becomes inflamed, with scarring and formation of pus, and there may be damage to the cornea. It is caused by a bacterium (chlamydia), and is a disease of dry tropical regions. Although it responds well to antibiotics, numerically it remains the biggest single cause of blindness worldwide. In 2001 alone, 6 million people worldwide went blind through trachoma and a further 540 million were at risk. A 2004 study estimated that 18–24% of global blindness (7–9 million people) is caused by trachoma.