The Neglected Tropical Diseases You’ve Never Heard Of

It starts with a fly, feeding off bacteria-ridden, purulent discharge from a human eye and carrying it to an uninfected person.¹ Shortly after its next infection, within 5 to 12 days, mild itching and irritation begin in the eye and around the eyelids, with the same purulent discharge developing. Left untreated and with repeated infections due to living within endemic areas of the world, the cornea develops multiple scratches, eventually leading to blurred vision and possible blindness. This communicable disease, trachoma, is the world’s leading cause of infectious blindness. Endemic in 42 countries, it’s responsible for the visual impairment or blindness of 1.9 million people. And yet, it’s likely that you’ve never heard of it.