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Chapter-016 Epidemiology of the Major Cornea and External Diseases

BOOK TITLE: Copeland and Afshari's Principles and Practice of Cornea (2 Volumes)

Author
1. Khor Wei Boon
2. Tan Donald Tiang-Hwee
ISBN
9789350901724
DOI
10.5005/jp/books/11777_16
Edition
1/e
Publishing Year
2013
Pages
12
Author Affiliations
1. Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore
2. Singapore National Eye Centre; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Chapter keywords
Ocular trauma, corneal ulceration, trachoma, onchocerciasis, cornea pathology, Chlamydia trachomatis, childhood blindness

Abstract

The epidemiology of the major cornea and external diseases has a lot of variations and it is highly dependent on the eye pathologies. The corneal blindness is also a much greater burden in the developing world, despite the fact that the majority of these diseases are avoidable or preventable. The trachoma is caused by infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, an obligate intracellular bacterium that is rapidly transmitted from eye to eye through infected ocular secretions on fingers, contaminated clothing, and flies. Onchocerciasis is caused by infection with the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus, transmitted from infected human hosts to other humans through repeated bites by the blackfly. Cornea pathology is one of the causes for visual impairment in children worldwide. The chapter discusses in detail about the epidemiology of blinding cornea and external diseases, ocular trauma and corneal ulceration, childhood blindness, trachoma, and onchocerciasis.

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