Background: The baseline data pertaining to the national epidemiological survey of infectious keratitis remain\nscarce in China, and currently there is no corneal blindness control strategy developed by the nation.\nMethods: Geographically defined cluster sampling was used to randomly select a cross-section of residents from\nrepresentative urban and rural populations in Hubei Province. Participants were selected from village registers,\nfollowed by door-to-door household visits. The assessment items included a structured interview, visual acuity\ntesting, external eye examination, and anterior segment examination using slit lamp. Causes and sequelae of\ncorneal disease were identified according to uniform customized protocol.\nResults: The prevalence of presenting corneal diseases was 0.8% (211/26 305), while the prevalence of infectious\nkeratitis was 0.148% (39/26 305). The prevalences of viral, bacterial, and fungal keratitis were 0.065, 0.068, and\n0.015%, respectively. There were no significant differences found between the prevalences of viral (accounting for\n43.6%) and bacterial (accounting for 46.2%) corneal ulcers. cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis were not found.\nInfectious keratitis was the leading cause of corneal blindness (85.7%), and the prevalence of blindness in at least\none eye resulting from infected corneas was 0.091% (95% CI: 0.067-0.127%).\nConclusions: Viral and bacterial mechanisms constitute the most important risk factors for infectious corneal ulcers\nin Central China. To reduce the rate and severity of infectious keratitis, he public health care policy should be\nfocused on designing cost-effective strategies and operational programs for the prevention and prompt treatment\nof infectious corneal ulcers.
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