Chiamydial Infections

Chlamydial (kla-MIH-dee-ul) infection can take various forms and can affect the urinary and genital systems of the body, as well as the eyes and lungs. One of its most common forms is a sexually transmitted disease (STD), which usually is passed from one person to another through unprotected sexual intercourse.

What Are Chiamydial Infections?

There are different types of chlamydia bacteria. Chlamydia trachomatis (kla-MIH-dee-uh truh-KO-mah-tis) is the bacterium that causes genital (and sometimes throat) infections. People with this form of chlamydial infection might not know they have the disease, because symptoms of infection often do not appear right away. In both men and women, long-term complications can result from an untreated infection. The penis, vagina, cervix ^* , anus, or urethra ^* can become infected. Babies born to mothers with chlamydial infection may develop a type of conjunctivitis ^* shortly after birth. A different type of Chlamydia trachomatis also causes the most common infection-related form of blindness in the world.

Infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae (kla-MIH-dee-uh nu-MO-nye) can lead to pneumonia in humans and may be linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Humans also can contract Chlamydia psittaci (kla-MIHdee-uh sih-TAH-see) through contact with infected birds. This infection causes psittacosis (sih-tuh-KO-sis), or "parrot fever," a pneumonia-like illness. This form of chlamydial infection is the most rare, usually affecting only those people who work closely or live with birds.

Chlamydial infection is the most common STD in the United States. As many as 3 to 4 million new cases occur each year. Most people who contract chlamydia are younger than 25 years old. Of every 10 teenage girls tested for chlamydial infection, 1 girl has the infection.

How Do Chiamydial Infections Spread and What Are the Symptoms?

Spread by oral (by mouth), vaginal, and anal sexual intercourse, Chlamydia trachomatis is easily transmitted from person to person. Chlamydia also can pass from a woman to her baby during birth; infants born to infected mothers have about a 25 percent chance of becoming infected with conjunctivitis or pneumonia.

A microscopic image of a smear of material taken from the cervix of a woman infected with chlamydia shows the presence of the bacteria.

Custom Medical Stock Photo, Inc.

The sexually-transmitted infection often is called "the silent epidemic," and up to half of men and three-fourths of women who have the disease do not know it, because symptoms can be mild or may not even be noticeable. Symptoms can take from 1 to 3 weeks to appear after a person becomes infected. Women may have a milky or yellowish discharge (mucus ^* or pus ^* ) from the vagina and experience pain while urinating or having sex. Fever, bleeding between periods, abdominal ^* pain, and the urge to urinate frequently are also signs of infection. Men may have a burning sensation when they urinate or a thin yellowish or milky discharge from the penis and swollen or tender testicles. Some men may not experience any symptoms. Chlamydia spread through oral contact with the genitals can cause an infection in the throat.

How Are the Diseases Diagnosed?

Specific testing for chlamydia is usually included when a person is screened for STDs. Tests for chlamydial infection and gonorrhea usually are done together, because the symptoms of these two sexually transmitted infections are similar. A doctor will ask about sexual history, collect a sample of urine for examination in a laboratory, and take cotton-swab samples from the cervix or the tip of the penis. If swelling or discharge is present, swabs also will be taken from the throat or anus. The material picked up by the swab is tested for the bacteria. Testing can take up to 3 days. Sometimes a quicker test that diagnoses chlamydial infection from a urine sample is used. Results from a urine sample usually can be obtained from a laboratory within a few hours. It is necessary for all sexual partners of a person who is diagnosed with chlamydial infection to be tested for the disease, even if they do not have symptoms.

What Is the Treatment for Chiamydial Infection?

Once a person is diagnosed with chlamydial infection, treatment with antibiotics begins. It is important for an infected person to finish all prescribed medication, even if symptoms disappear. If symptoms persist after taking all the medication, a follow-up visit to the doctor is necessary. Babies who contract chlamydia from their mothers also are treated with antibiotics.

Complications

If chlamydial infection is left untreated in women, it can move through a woman's reproductive organs and spread to the cervix, uterus ^* , fallopian tubes ^* , or ovaries ^* , causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID is a serious condition that can result in infertility (the inability to become pregnant). Each year, PID develops in up to a million women in the United States; half of these cases are the result of chlamydial infection. PID can scar and block the fallopian tubes and cause a woman to be at increased risk for an ectopic (ek-TAH-pik) pregnancy, in which the fertilized egg develops outside the uterus, usually within one of the fallopian tubes. Ectopic pregnancies are removed by emergency surgery to prevent the fallopian tube from rupturing and causing internal bleeding. Without emergency medical treatment, a ruptured ectopic pregnancy can result in severe bleeding that can lead to death. Women with a history of PID are 10 times more likely to have ectopic pregnancies than are other women. Research has shown that women who have chlamydia are up to five times more likely to become infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ^* if they have unprotected sex with someone who has HIV infection.

In men, chlamydia can spread from the urethra to the testicles and may result in a condition called epididymitis ^* , which can lead to sterility (the inability to impregnate a woman). Men also can develop prostatitis (pros-tah-TY-tis), an inflammation of the prostate ^* , or Reiter syndrome (RYE-ter SIN-drome), a condition associated with arthritis ^* .

Prevention

People who have chlamydial infection may pass the disease on to their sexual partners, even if they are not aware that they are infected. It is wise to approach any sexual relationship with a strong sense of responsibility. People who are sexually active are advised always to use a latex condom for all forms of sexual intercourse. Having several sexual partners puts a person at increased risk of all types of STDs. It is recommended that all men and women who are sexually active be screened regularly for STDs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises all sexually active women who have risk factors for chlamydial infection to be screened for STDs at least once a year, as part of a full gynecological exam. Women considered to be at risk are those who have new sex partners or who engage in sex with several partners and who do not use condoms during sex. Pregnant women are also screened, to prevent spreading the infection to their babies.