Chlamydia infection overview
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Maliha Shakil, M.D. [2]
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Overview
The term Chlamydia refers to an infection by any one of the species in the bacterial genus Chlamydia—Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydia suis or Chlamydia muridarum—, but of these, only C. trachomatis is found in humans.[1] Chlamydia (from the Greek, χλαμύδος meaning "cloak") is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the gram negative bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United States and a major infectious cause of human eye and genital disease.[2] Chlamydia trachomatis was first discovered in 1907 by Halberstaedter and von Prowazek.[3] The inclusion bodies of Chlamydia trachomatis were first described in 1942.[4] Chlamydia must be differentiated from other genital tract infections such as Gonorrhea infection, bacterial vaginosis, vaginal candidiasis, infection with Trichomonas vaginalis, and mycoplasma infection.[5]
Historical Perspective
Chlamydia trachomatis was first discovered in 1907 by Halberstaedter and von Prowazek.[3] The inclusion bodies of Chlamydia trachomatis were first described in 1942.[4]
Pathophysiology
C. trachomatis is naturally found living only inside human cells. Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex, and can be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal childbirth.
Causes
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the gram negative bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis.
Differentiating Chlamydia infection from other diseases
Chlamydia must be differentiated from other genital tract infections such as Gonorrhea infection, bacterial vaginosis, vaginal candidiasis, infection with Trichomonas vaginalis, and mycoplasma infection.[5]
Epidemiology and Demographics
In 2014, the incidence of chylamydia was estimated to be 439 cases per 100,000 individuals in the United States.[4] The incidence of chlamydia in women has increased greatly between 1987 and 2003 from 79 to 467 cases per 100,000 individuals.[6] Almost two-thirds of new chlamydia infections occur among youth aged 15-24 years. It is estimated that 1 in 20 sexually active young women aged 14-24 years has chlamydia.[4] Females are more commonly affected with chlamydia infection than males. The female to male ratio is approximately 1.52 to 1.[4] The prevalence of chlamydia among non-Hispanic african americans is 6.7 times the prevalence among non-Hispanic whites.[4]
Risk Factors
Common risk factors in the development of chlamydia infection include unprotected sexual activity, multiple sexual partners, age, men who have sex with men, and low socio-economic status.[4][7][8]
Screening
According to the 2015 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines by the CDC, screening for chlamydia is recommended.[4]
Natural History, Complications and Prognosis
If untreated, chlamydial infections can cause serious reproductive and other health problems with both short-term and long-term consequences. Chlamydia is easily treated with antibiotics. Of equal importance, chlamydia infection of the eye is the most common cause of preventable blindness in the world. Blindness occurs as a complication of trachoma (chlamydia conjunctivitis).[9]
Diagnosis
History and Symptoms
Many people with Chlamydia exhibit no symptoms of infection. Between half and three-quarters of all women who have chlamydia have no symptoms and do not know that they are infected.
Physical Examination
Laboratory Findings
The diagnosis of genital chlamydial infections has evolved rapidly from the 1990s through 2006. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT), such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), transcription mediated amplification (TMA), and the DNA strand displacement assay (SDA) now are the mainstays.
References
- ↑ "www.chlamydiae.com (professional) - Taxonomy diagram". Retrieved 2007-10-27.
- ↑ Chlamydia fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Budai I (2007). "Chlamydia trachomatis: milestones in clinical and microbiological diagnostics in the last hundred years: a review". Acta Microbiol Immunol Hung. 54 (1): 5–22. doi:10.1556/AMicr.54.2007.1.2. PMID 17523388.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Chlamydia trachomatis. Wikipedia.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlamydia_trachomatis. Accessed on December 22, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Genital Tract Chlamydia infection. BMJ. http://bestpractice.bmj.com/best-practice/monograph/52/diagnosis/differential.html. Accessed on December 27, 2015
- ↑ Miller KE (2006). "Diagnosis and treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis infection". Am Fam Physician. 73 (8): 1411–6. PMID 16669564.
- ↑ Navarro C, Jolly A, Nair R, Chen Y (2002). "Risk factors for genital chlamydial infection". Can J Infect Dis. 13 (3): 195–207. PMC 2094865. PMID 18159391.
- ↑ Mishori R, McClaskey EL, WinklerPrins VJ (2012). "Chlamydia trachomatis infections: screening, diagnosis, and management". Am Fam Physician. 86 (12): 1127–32. PMID 23316985.
- ↑ Belland R, Ojcius D, Byrne G (2004). "Chlamydia". Nat Rev Microbiol. 2 (7): 530 &ndash, 1. PMID 15248311.