Varying beliefs about disease etiology may also serve to minimize the prevalence of trachoma. Beliefs about the causes of disease range from blindness caused by old age to illness induced by the glance of an envious person. Cultural beliefs in an Egyptian Delta hamlet discourage the discussion of trachoma since villagers believe trichiasis can be spread by word of mouth, and discussion of the disease is equal to questioning the will of God. In one study, villagers’ assessments of their quality of vision greatly exceeded evaluations by ophthalmologists. In addition to the danger of underreporting, ignoring symptoms may lead to the greatly increased risk of.
