*CLAMYDIASIS

Chlamydia infection, often simply known as chlamydia, is

a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia
trachomatis. Most people who are infected have no symptoms.
Women
*SIGN AND SYMPTOMS
Chlamydial infection of the cervix (neck of the womb) is a sexually transmitted
infection which has no symptoms for 50–70% of women infected. The infection can
be passed through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Of those who have an asymptomatic
infection that is not detected by their doctor, approximately half will develop pelvic
inflammatory disease (PID), a generic term for infection of the uterus, fallopian
tubes, and/or ovaries. PID can cause scarring inside the reproductive organs, which
can later cause serious complications, including chronic pelvic pain, difficulty
becoming pregnant, ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, and other dangerous complications
of pregnancy.
Chlamydia is known as the "silent epidemic" as in women, it may not cause
any symptoms in 70–80% of cases, and can linger for months or years before being
discovered. Signs and symptoms may include abnormal vaginal bleeding or
discharge, abdominal pain, painful sexual intercourse, fever, painful urination or
the urge to urinate more often than usual (urinary urgency).
For sexually active women who are not pregnant, screening is recommended in
those under 25 and others at risk of infection.Risk factors include a history of
chlamydial or other sexually transmitted infection, new or multiple sexual partners,
and inconsistent condom use.Guidelines recommend all women attending
for emergency contraceptive are offered Chlamydia testing, with studies showing up
to 9% of women aged <25 years had Chlamydia.
Men
In men, those with a chlamydial infection show symptoms of
infectious inflammation of the urethra in about 50% of cases.Symptoms that may
occur include: a painful or burning sensation when urinating, an unusual
discharge from the penis, testicular pain or swelling, or fever. If left untreated,
chlamydia in men can spread to the testicles causing epididymitis, which in rare
cases can lead to sterility if not treated.Chlamydia is also a potential cause
of prostatic inflammation in men, although the exact relevance in prostatitis is
difficult to ascertain due to possible contamination from urethritis.
Eye disease
Chlamydia conjunctivitis or trachoma was once the most important cause of
blindness worldwide, but its role diminished from 15% of blindness cases by
trachoma in 1995 to 3.6% in 2002. The infection can be spread from eye to eye by
fingers, shared towels or cloths, coughing and sneezing and eye-seeking flies.
Newborns can also develop chlamydia eye infection through childbirth (see
below). Using the SAFE strategy (acronym for surgery for in-growing or in-
turned lashes, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvements),
the World Health Organization aims for the global elimination of trachoma by
2020 (GET 2020 initiative)
Joints
Chlamydia may also cause reactive arthritis—the triad of arthritis, conjunctivitis
and urethral inflammation—especially in young men. About 15,000 men develop
reactive arthritis due to chlamydia infection each year in the U.S., and about
5,000 are permanently affected by it. It can occur in both sexes, though is more
common in men.
Infants
As many as half of all infants born to mothers with chlamydia will be born with the
disease. Chlamydia can affect infants by causing spontaneous abortion; premature
birth; conjunctivitis, which may lead to blindness; and pneumonia. Conjunctivitis
due to chlamydia typically occurs one week after birth (compared with chemical
causes (within hours) or gonorrhea (2–5 days)).
 *INCUBATION PERIOD
Unfortunately, the majority of men and women
with chlamydia do not have symptoms.
Therefore, they do not know they have the
disease. The incubation period for chlamydia is
quite variable and may range from days to
months after the initial exposure. The average
time from exposure to the development of
symptoms is usually about one to three weeks
after sexual contact with an infected person.
 *MODE OF TRANSMISSION
Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex
or direct contact with infected tissue such as conjunctiva.
Chlamydia can also be passed from an infected mother to her
baby during vaginal childbirth.

Chlamydia is transmitted by sexual contact with the penis, vagina,

anus and/or rectal area, and mouth of the infected individual.
Occasionally, if the eyes are infected, ocular secretions may contain
transmissible bacteria. The organisms are simply transmitted by
contact, usually by direct physical contact. Chlamydia bacteria are
easily spread. They spread from females to males and vice versa
through sexual contact.
*PHATOGNOMONIC SIGN
owl’s eye appearance of cells
(huge nucleus in cells hence the
name)
 *DIAGNOSTIC TEST

Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT). These tests find the genetic
material (DNA) of chlamydia bacteria. These tests are very good at
identifying chlamydia. A test that is positive almost always means the
problem is there and is unlikely to be a false-positive test result. A
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is an example of a nucleic acid
amplification test. This test can also be done on a urine sample.
Chlamydia culture. This is a test to find the bacteria that cause a
chlamydia infection. A sample of body fluid from areas such as
the cervix, urethra, eye, rectum, or throat is added to certain cells
used to grow chlamydia. If no chlamydia bacteria infect the cells, the
culture is negative. If chlamydia bacteria infect the cells, the culture
is positive. Results take longer (5 to 7 days) than the other tests.
 *CONFIRMATORY TEST
Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common sexually
transmitted bacterial pathogen (4). It causes adverse
reproductive consequences in women and conjunctivitis and
pneumonia in infants exposed to the organism at birth.
Screening women in family planning or in obstetrics and
gynecology clinics and treatment of those infected with C.
trachomatis prevents pelvic inflammatory disease and neonatal
infections (7, 8). Because most genital chlamydial infections are
asymptomatic, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) guidelines call for routine screening of sexually active
women between ages 15 and 24.