Chlamydia 2
Chlamydia 2Chlamydia
Chlamydia is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, hence the name; Chlamydia The word chlamys is Greek for "cloak draped around the shoulder.� This describes how the intracytoplasmic inclusions caused by the bacterium are "draped" around the infected cell's nucleus. Scientists discovered the organism in 1907, although it probably has been infecting people for hundreds of years. Because the symptoms of the disease resemble other pathologies, chlamydia was not recognized as a sexually transmitted disease until recently. Isolation from embryonated eggs in 1957 and from cell culture in 1963 confirmed its existence as a bacterium. (Madigan) However, since the organism is an obligate intracellular parasite that exclusively infects humans (it cannot synthesize its own ATP or grow on artificial medium), it was once thought to be a virus.(Hatch) Because of Chlamydia's unique developmental cycle, it was taxonomically classified in a separate order. It can thus be found with the other well-known intracellular parasites, rickettsiae, in diagnostic manuals. Until recently, however, there were no reliable and easy tests for chlamydia. Chlamydia prevention and patient care were impeded by the lack of suitable laboratory tests for screening and diagnosis. Such tests are now available. Through education, screening, partner referral, and proper patient care public health workers and health-care practitioners can combine efforts to decrease the morbidity and costs resulting from this infection.
Chlamydia is the number one bacterial sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States today. Four million new cases of chlamydia occur each year. It is many times more common than gonorrhea. Chlamydia infection is primarily transmitted from person to person through contact with the mucous membranes of the vagina, urethra, rectum or mouth. The chief mode of transmission is sexual intercourse-oral, anal or genital. The infection can be present for long periods of time, even years, without any signs of infection. It's particularly common among teens and young adults. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can be caused by chlamydia, is a leading cause of infertility when left untreated. Chlamydia is usually easy to treat. However, most people with chlamydia have no symptoms. Chlamydia is an infection that is spread through sex. It is very common among teens and young adults. If it is not treated, chlamydia can damage a woman's body so she can never have children. Approximately 60 to 80% of women will have no noticeable symptoms of an infection, and when symptoms are present they are usually mild. A pregnant woman may pass the infection to her newborn during delivery, with subsequent neonatal eye infection or pneumonia. Each year up to 1 million women in the United States develop PID, a serious infection of the reproductive organs. PID is the most common cause of pregnancy-related death among poor teenagers in the inner cites and rural areas of the United States. The annuals cost estimates exceed $7...
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