CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS - medical information

The microorganism Chlamydia trachomatis is responsible for trachoma, a disease in which the conjunctiva and cornea can become scarred, leading to blindness. Trachoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the world and is especially prevalent in the Middle East, Asia, and parts of Africa.
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1. PREPARED BY MARTIN SHAJI PHARM D CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS- medical information

2. Chlamydia trachomatis is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by bacteria. You might not know you have chlamydia because many people don't have signs or symptoms, such as genital pain and discharge from the vagina or penis. Introduction

3. Epidemiology It is estimated that 1 in 20 sexually active young women aged 14-24 years has chlamydia. Substantial racial/ethnic disparities in chlamydial infection exist, with prevalence among non-Hispanic blacks 5.6 times the prevalence among non-Hispanic whites. Chlamydia is also common among men who have sex with men (MSM).

4. Incubation Period And Asymptomatic Persistence The incubation period of symptomatic disease ranges from 5 to 14 days following infection. However, it is unclear how long those with asymptomatic disease may carry the infection.

5. Symptoms Early-stage Chlamydia trachomatis infections often cause few or no signs and symptoms. Even when signs and symptoms occur, they're often mild, making them easy to overlook.

6. Signs and symptoms of Chlamydia trachomatis infection can include: ★Painful urination ★Vaginal discharge in women ★Discharge from the penis in men ★Painful sexual intercourse in women ★Bleeding between periods and after sex in women ★Testicular pain in men ★Chlamydia trachomatis can also infect the rectum, either with no signs or symptoms or with rectal pain, discharge or bleeding. You also can get chlamydial eye infections (conjunctivitis) through contact with infected body fluids.

7. Causes The Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium is most commonly spread through vaginal, oral and anal sex. It's also possible for pregnant women to spread chlamydia to their children during delivery, causing pneumonia or a serious eye infection in the newborns.

8. Risk Factors Factors that increase your risk of Chlamydia trachomatis include: –>Being sexually active before age 25 –>Having multiple sex partners –>Not using a condom consistently –>History of sexually transmitted infection

9. Prevention The surest way to prevent chlamydia infection is to abstain from sexual activities. Short of that, you can: ✓Use condoms. ✓Limit your number of sex partners. ✓Get regular screenings. ✓Avoid douching. Douching decreases the number of good bacteria in the vagina, which can increase the risk of infection.

10. Treatments Chlamydia trachomatis is treated with antibiotics. You might receive a one-time dose, or you might need to take the medication daily or multiple times a day for five to 10 days. In most cases, the infection resolves within one to two weeks. During that time, you should abstain from sex. Your sexual partner or partners also need treatment even if they have no signs or symptoms. Otherwise, the infection can be passed back and forth between sexual partners. Having chlamydia or having been treated for it in the past doesn't prevent you from getting it again.

11. The good news is that chlamydia is easy to treat. Since it’s bacterial in nature, it’s treated with antibiotics. Azithromycin is an antibiotic usually prescribed in a single, large dose. Doxycycline is an antibiotic that must be taken twice per day for about one week. Other antibiotics may also be given. No matter which antibiotic is prescribed, dosage instructions should be followed carefully to make sure the infection clears up fully. This can take up to two weeks, even with the single-dose medications.

12. During the treatment time, it’s important not to have sex. It’s still possible to transmit and contract chlamydia if exposed again, even if you’ve treated a previous infection. Although chlamydia is curable, it’s still important to stay protected and prevent recurrence.