Chlamydia

Category: Illness or disabilities

Type

Involuntary

Introduction and description

Chlamydia trachomatis infection (from the Greek, χλαμύδα meaning "cloak") is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. C. trachomatis is found only in humans. Chlamydia is known as the "silent epidemic" as in women, it may not cause any symptoms and can linger for months or years before being discovered.

Chlamydia infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide.  It is a major cause of human genital and eye disease.

Globally, as of 2010, sexually transmitted chlamydia affects approximately 215 million people (3.1% of the population). It is more common in women (3.8%) than men (2.5%). In 2010 it resulted in about 1,200 deaths, down from 1,500 in 1990.  CDC estimates that there are approximately 2.8 million new cases of chlamydia in the United States each year and that it affects around 2% of young people in that country. Chlamydial infection is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the UK.

Chlamydia causes more than 250,000 cases of epididymitis and 250,000 to 500,000 cases of PID every year in the United States. Women infected with chlamydia are up to five times more likely to become infected with HIV, if exposed.

Chlamydia world map - darker colours indicate higher prevalence

 

Symptoms

Chlamydial infection is asymptomatic for 50–70% of women infected with the disease. In those women who do have symptoms, there may be abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge, abdominal pain, painful sexual intercourse, fever, painful urination or the urge to urinate more often than usual (urinary urgency).

In men, the disease can also be asymptomatic.  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, and fever.

Long-term cohort studies indicate that approximately 50% of those infected clear within a year, 80% within two years, and 90% within three years.  This assumes the immune system is not compromised in any way.

Effects

Cancer

There is evidence that Chlamydia trachomatis increases the risk of developing cervical cancer

 

Pneumonia and pneumonitis

If the fetus survives, as many as half of all infants born to mothers with chlamydia will be born with the disease.  Immunocompromised patients, those who have been unwisely placed on immunosuppressants and the elderly may also suffer.  In chronic infection with the bacteria, infection can spread to the lungs and caused illnesses such as pneumonitis.

Lymph node infection

A different serovar of Chlamydia trachomatis is also the cause of lymphogranuloma venereum, an infection of the lymph nodes and lymphatics. It usually presents with genital ulceration and swollen lymph nodes in the groin, but it may also manifest as rectal inflammation, fever or swollen lymph nodes in other regions of the body.

Eye disease – conjunctivitis and blindness

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.

As many as half of all infants born to mothers with chlamydia will be born with the disease; they may also be born with conjunctivitis, which may lead to blindness. Conjunctivitis due to chlamydia typically occurs one week after birth.

Gestation problems

Chlamydia can cause spontaneous abortion; and premature birth.

Arthritis

Chlamydia may also cause arthritis.  This may occur in the long term due to the problems of latent infection or may be almost immediate.

About 15,000 men develop reactive [immediate] 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.

Infertility

Female reproductive organ diseases

Chlamydial infection affects the neck of the womb (cervicitis). Of those who have undiagnosed or untreated infection, 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.

Male reproductive organ diseases

If left untreated, chlamydia in men can spread to the testicles causing epididymitis. 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.

Cause

C. trachomatis is naturally found living only inside human cells. Chlamydiae in general have the ability to establish long-term associations with host cells. When an infected host cell is starved for various nutrients such as amino acids (for example, tryptophan), iron, or vitamins, this has a negative consequence for Chlamydiae since the organism is dependent on the host cell for these nutrients.

Chlamydiae are not dissimilar in their approach to host cells as some viruses and they too can become ‘latent’.  In other words if conditions for them deteriorate they enter a ‘persistent growth state’ where they remain viable, but lie low.  They are capable of returning to a normal growth state once conditions in the host cell improve.

In effect, just like latent viruses, the immune system cannot spot the bacteria is there and thus it can spring up at times of low host immunity but adequate bacterial nutrients.

This may be antibiotic resistance but it may also be persistance.

Prevention

Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex, which means that condoms are the best preventative measure and that anal sex and oral sex are high risk and should be discouraged.

The infection can be spread from eye to eye by fingers, shared towels or cloths, coughing and sneezing and eye-seeking flies. 

Hygiene thus becomes a very important safety measure.

Diagnosis

Screening is recommended in those under 25 and others at risk of infection for both men and women.

Treatment

The standard treatment for Chlamydia has been antibiotics, but the rather bullish statements one sees about treatment using antibiotics is also accompanied, in those papers where more research has been done, with a note of considerable concern.

It is known that at least one class of antibiotics - the β-lactams - can induce a persistent-like growth state.  In other words they can turn an infection into a chronic one.

It is also possible that chlamydia trachomatis is developing or has developed resistance to numerous antibiotics

The World Health Organization has set itself the target of  global elimination of trachoma by 2020 (GET 2020 initiative), using the 'SAFE' strategy which is an acronym for surgery for in-growing or in-turned lashes, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvements.  Unfortunately the use of antibiotics appears to be contributing to other problems:

The observations provide other treatment options and will be added to as more are found.

References and further reading

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  Acta Paediatr Scand. 1984 Jul;73(4):569-72.  Intrauterine lung infection with Chlamydia trachomatis in a premature infant.  Mårdh PA, Johansson PJ, Svenningsen N.
• Acupunct Electrother Res. 1995 Aug-Dec;20(3-4):195-229.  Role of mercury (Hg) in resistant infections & effective treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis and Herpes family viral infections (and potential treatment for cancer) by removing localized Hg deposits with Chinese parsley and delivering effective antibiotics using various drug uptake enhancement methods.  Omura Y1, Beckman SL. 1Heart Disease Research Foundation, New York, USA

 We do not know who the paintings are by.  We will be happy to credit the painter, just as we have done on other pages, if he/she can be identified.

Related observations

Healing observations

• Berberine 019950
• Dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans from Schisandra spp. selectively inhibit the growth of the intracellular bacteria Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia trachomatis 020888
• Dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans from Schisandra spp. selectively inhibit the growth of the intracellular bacteria Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia trachomatis 018889
• Dr Duke's list of Chemicals with Antichlamydial Activity 018888
• Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antichlamydial Activity 018322
• Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antichlamydial activity of high potency 018323
• Effective treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis and Herpes family viral infections with Chinese parsley 018887
• The Healing Power of Sleep 026790

Hallucination

• Azithromycin and Zithromax 001136

Other observations

• Hiding in Plain Sight: Contaminated Ice Machines Are a Potential Source for Dissemination of Gram-Negative Bacteria and Candida Species in Healthcare Facilities 027931