Genomics of Ocular Chlamydia Trachomatis After 5 Years of SAFE Interventions for Trachoma in Amhara, Ethiopia

Overview

Journal J Infect Dis

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2020 Oct 9

PMID 33034349

Citations 9

Authors

Harry Pickering

Ambahun Chernet

Eshetu Sata

Mulat Zerihun

Charlotte A Williams

Judith Breuer

Andrew W Nute

Mahteme Haile

Taye Zeru

Zerihun Tadesse

Robin L Bailey

E Kelly Callahan

Martin J Holland

Scott D Nash

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: To eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, the World Health Organization recommends the SAFE (surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvement) strategy. As part of the SAFE strategy in the Amhara Region, Ethiopia, the Trachoma Control Program distributed >124 million doses of antibiotics between 2007 and 2015. Despite this, trachoma remained hyperendemic in many districts and a considerable level of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) infection was evident.

Methods: We utilized residual material from Abbott m2000 Ct diagnostic tests to sequence 99 ocular Ct samples from Amhara and investigated the role of Ct genomic variation in continued transmission of Ct.

Results: Sequences were typical of ocular Ct at the whole-genome level and in tissue tropism-associated genes. There was no evidence of macrolide resistance in this population. Polymorphism around the ompA gene was associated with village-level trachomatous inflammation-follicular prevalence. Greater ompA diversity at the district level was associated with increased Ct infection prevalence.

Conclusions: We found no evidence for Ct genomic variation contributing to continued transmission of Ct after treatment, adding to evidence that azithromycin does not drive acquisition of macrolide resistance in Ct. Increased Ct infection in areas with more ompA variants requires longitudinal investigation to understand what impact this may have on treatment success and host immunity.

Citing Articles

Unravelling Chlamydia trachomatis diversity in Amhara, Ethiopia: MLVA-ompA sequencing as a molecular typing tool for trachoma.

Harte A, Ghasemian E, Pickering H, Houghton J, Chernet A, Sata E PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2024; 18(4):e0012143.

PMID: 38662795 PMC: 11075894. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012143.

Genomic insights into local-scale evolution of ocular strains within and between individuals in Gambian trachoma-endemic villages.

Ghasemian E, Faal N, Pickering H, Sillah A, Breuer J, Bailey R Microb Genom. 2024; 10(3).

PMID: 38445851 PMC: 10999739. DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001210.

A systems serology approach to the investigation of infection-induced antibody responses and protection in trachoma.

Barton A, Rosenkrands I, Pickering H, Faal N, Harte A, Joof H Front Immunol. 2023; 14:1178741.

PMID: 37287960 PMC: 10242090. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1178741.

Patterns of within-host spread of between vagina, endocervix and rectum revealed by comparative genomic analysis.

Joseph S, Bommana S, Ziklo N, Kama M, Dean D, Read T Front Microbiol. 2023; 14:1154664.

PMID: 37056744 PMC: 10086254. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1154664.

Patterns of within-host spread of between vagina, endocervix and rectum revealed by comparative genomic analysis.

Joseph S, Bommana S, Ziklo N, Kama M, Dean D, Read T bioRxiv. 2023; .

PMID: 36747780 PMC: 9901013. DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.25.525576.

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