Chlamydia infection overview
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., 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] For a list of species formerly included in the genus Chlamydia, please see Chlamydophila.[2] Chlamydia (from the Greek, χλαμύδος meaning "cloak") is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is a major infectious cause of human eye and genital disease.
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.
Risk Factors
Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Sexually active individuals, individuals with multiple partners, and individuals who fail to utilize condoms consistency and effectively are at highest risk.
Epidemiology and Demographics
Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in people worldwide — about 2.8 million cases of chlamydia infection occur in the United States each year.[3]
Complications
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).[4]
Diagnosis
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.
Laboratory Findings
The diagnosis of genital chlamydial infections 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.
- ↑ Taxonomic Outline of the Procaryotes, Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Second Edition Release 1.0, April 2001. [1]
- ↑ Chlamydia fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- ↑ Belland R, Ojcius D, Byrne G (2004). "Chlamydia". Nat Rev Microbiol. 2 (7): 530 &ndash, 1. PMID 15248311.