Chlamydia and Mycoplasmas

Chlamydia: Key Points

• Chlamydia trachomatis has several serotypes, and it can cause sexually transmitted diseases in both males and females.
• Trachoma, caused by serotypes A, B, or C, is a leading cause of blindness in hot and dry climates.
• Chlamydiae that infect humans are divided into three species: Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Chlamydophila psittaci.
• Chlamydia have a unique biphasic life cycle with two morphological forms: small extracellular metabolically inert particles and larger intracellular metabolically active particles.
• Chlamydia infections can manifest as genital tract infections, lymphogranuloma venereum, and inclusion conjunctivitis.
• Chlamydia lack the ability to produce sufficient energy to grow independently and can only grow inside host cells.
• Chlamydia can be grown on tissue culture in a lab and are similar to viruses but are considered bacteria.
• Chlamydia can be transmitted through inhalation of respiratory droplets or during passage through an infected birth canal.
• Laboratory diagnosis of Chlamydia includes direct detection, antigen detection, nucleic acid detection, and serological tests.
• Treatment and prevention of Chlamydia infections involve the use of erythromycin and tetracycline, and detecting and treating asymptomatic individuals is important.
• Mycoplasmas, which are similar to Chlamydia, are bacteria without a cell wall and are the smallest bacteria that can be grown on cell-free media.
• Mycoplasmas require serum-enriched medium containing cholesterol and are resistant to antibiotics that inhibit cell wall synthesis.