Library · Microorganism
Chlamydia trachomatis
Make it clearer
Chlamydia trachomatis is the bacterium that causes chlamydia, the most commonly reported bacterial infection in the United States.
This bacterium does its work inside your cells, and to do that it has two forms. One is the elementary body, which is switched off, does nothing on its own, and is the form that spreads the infection; that is the one that enters the cell. Once inside, it turns into a reticulate body, the active form, which uses your own cell's energy to multiply and build new elementary bodies that go out and infect other cells. It goes in switched off, switches on inside the cell, and comes back out switched off.
In women the most commonly infected site is the cervix, the opening of the uterus. In men it can cause urethritis, which is inflammation of the tube urine passes through, or epididymitis, inflammation of the duct next to the testicle. And most of the time you feel nothing.
In brief
Chlamydia trachomatis is the bacterium that causes chlamydia, the most commonly reported bacterial infection in the United States.
It alternates between two forms: the inactive but infectious elementary body enters the cell and becomes a reticulate body, which uses the host's energy to multiply.
It goes in switched off, switches on inside the cell, and comes back out switched off.
In women the most commonly infected site is the cervix, and in men the infection can cause urethritis or epididymitis, though most infections cause no symptoms.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingChlamydia trachomatis Infection, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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