Chlamydiae

Question 1

Characteristics

Answer 1

• obligate intracellular bacteria (can’t produce sufficient energy to grow independently->grow only inside host cells).
• rigid cell wall like gram - ; lacks muramic acid.
• Not seen on Gram-stained smear.
• Exists as inactive elementary body
  extracellularly & metabolically active, dividing reticulate body intracellularly.
• infects epithelial cells of the mucous
  membranes or the lungs.

Question 2

Chlamydia trachomatis
Diseases

Answer 2

Trachoma-> A-C -> Africa & Asia-> blindness

• Nongonococcal urethritis (Men)-> D-K -> dysuria & watery, nonpurulent urethral discharge
• Cervicitis (Women) -> D-K -> salpingitis & PID & infertility or ectopic pregnancy
• Inclusion conjunctivitis-> infected mothers for baby or adult when eye touched.
• Above 3-> reactive arthritis & Reiter’s syndrome
• Lymphogranuloma venereum-> L1-L3-> Leisons of genitals & lymph nodes
• infant pneumonia.

Question 3

Chlamydia trachomatis
Habitat & Transmission

Answer 3

• human genital tract & eyes.
• sexual contact & passage of neonate through birth canal.
• MAIN: hand-to-eye contact.

Question 4

Chlamydia trachomatis
Laboratory Diagnosis

Answer 4

• Nucleic acid amplification test
  (NAAT) using the patient’s urine
• no gram-negative diplococci (gonococci)
• Cytoplasmic inclusions on Giemsa-stained or
  fluorescent antibody–stained smear of exudate.

Question 5

Chlamydia trachomatis
Treatment & Prevention

Answer 5

• Tetracycline (e.g., doxycycline) or macrolide
  (e.g., azithromycin).
• Erythromycin effective in infected mother to
  prevent neonatal disease. No vaccine.

Question 6

Chlamydia pneumonniae
Disease

Answer 6

Atypical pneumonia.

Question 7

Chlamydia pneumonniae
Habitat & Transmission

Answer 7

Human respiratory tract-> respiratory aerosol.

Question 8

Chlamydia pneumonniae
Laboratory Diagnosis

Answer 8

• Serologic tests for antibody in
  patient’s serum.

Question 9

Chlamydia pneumonniae
Treatment & Prevention

Answer 9

• tetracycline (doxycycline) & no vaccine.

Question 10

Chlamydia psittaci
Disease

Answer 10

Psittacosis.

Question 11

Chlamydia psittaci
Habitat & Transmission

Answer 11

• birds (psittacine)-> aerosol of dried bird feces

Question 12

Chlamydia psittaci
Laboratory Diagnosis

Answer 12

• testing for antibodies in patient’s serum.
• Cytoplasmic inclusion seen by Giemsa or fluorescent antibody staining.

Question 13

Chlamydia psittaci
Treatment & Prevention

Answer 13

Tetracycline & No vaccine.