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Chlamydia trachomatis (causes
the diseases trachoma and lymphogranuloma venereum)
Life > Eubacteria > Phylum:
Chlamydiae
A bacterium that causes the human diseases trachoma,
which can result in blindness, and lymphogranuloma venereum, which is a sexually
transmitted disease (STD).
There are two main varieties of Chlamydia trachomatis:
the one causes trachoma and the other a venereal disease called lymphogranuloma
venereum. Bacteria previously known as Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia
psittaci are now placed in the genus Chlamydophila.
Trachoma
Trachoma is the most common cause of blindness worldwide,
mainly occurring in the tropics. It is transmitted mainly by direct contact with
an infected person but also through contaminated water and other agents (maybe
flies).
Lymphogranuloma venereum
Lymphogranuloma venereum, also simply called Chlamydia, is
a sexually transmitted disease that can cause swelling of lymph nodes around the
genitalia as well as fever symptoms, weight loss, aching joints and enlargement
of the spleen. In men, inflamation of the urethra (the tube transferring
urine from the bladder to the penis) can result in pain during urination. In
women, there can also be a stinging feeling during urination and in addition
they can experience pain during sexual intercourse. However, people infected
with this disease are often unaware of it because the symptoms can be slow to
become apparent. This can lead to them infecting sexual partners unwittingly
resulting in the disease spreading. Mothers can also infect their children
during delivery which can result in the baby getting pneumonia when 2-3 weeks
old. In women, inflammation of the fallopian tubes and cervix by Chlamydia
trachomatis can result in infertility or life threatening pregnancies. This
is a common disease, in fact it is the most frequently reported disease in the
United States. Once diagnosed, it can be easily treated with antibiotics.
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Text by Hamish G. Robertson
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