Chlamydia Flashcards
Chlamydia trachomatis
Note: BLINDNESS DISEASE
epidemiology: 20-24 age group hit hardest. Anal, oral, or vaginal sex are fair game. Genital symptoms are straight up nonexistent…
clinical presentation: Spreads as STI. You’ll note:
1. ocular trachoma (really old disease) aka BLINDNESS!!!!!!!!!!
2. inclusion conjunctivitis (outer membrane of eye)-adult/perinatal (treated infected baby with erythromycin eye drops prophylactically) after passage from birth canal
3. infant pneumonia
4. genital tract infections (most common STD in the US…more than syphillis)
5. lymphogranuloma venereum
NOTE: genital tract correlations weren’t noted till 19th century. Most common preventable cause of blindness. Infection once does not greater antibodies to protect you from future infections. This occurs as a result of multiple reinfections. Transferred between infected mom and kiddie. The eye led gets swollen and scratches the cornea (L)
Note: womwn also get pelvic inflammatory disease, leading to scarring of ovaries, leading to blockage and preventing egg from reaching uterus. Can lead to 5x increase in HIV. Primary cause of infertility in woman under 25 yrs.
Testing: PCR based testing from vaginal swabs or urine (men)
Chlamydia pneumoniae (TWAR…the only recognized serotype of chlamydia pneumoniae)
epidemiology: Most common cause of human infection out of the 3 chlamydias. kiddies 5-14 susceptible
clinical presentation: mild upper respiratory tract infection, pneumonia, bronchitis
Chlamydia Psittaci
epidemiolgy: PARROTS, parakeets, cockatoos, or domestic birds. Spread through respiratory secretion inhalations or dust from infected animal droppings. Can act as Catgory B bioterrorism agent. Occupational hazard of poultry workers, veterinarieans, etc.
Clinical presentation: Severe pneumonia, if detected. Hard to diagnose. Fever, headache, sore throat, COGUH NOT PRESENT initially, but present later in disease.
