Chlamydia Causes and Symptoms

Manipulation of Host Vesicular Trafficking and Membrane Fusion During Chlamydi a Infection 1. Introduction Chlamydia infections are associated with a wide range of diseases. C. trachomatis (serovars A, B, Ba and C) causes trachoma, the world’s leading cause of infectious blindness. Serovars D through K are most commonly associated with sexually transmitted diseases and can cause infertility in women if left untreated [Paavonen and Eggert-Kruse, 1999]. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are prevalent in every society in the world, including in developed countries (United States Centers for Disease Control [CDC]). Therefore, they represent a serious public health concern. Public programs aimed at increasing people’s awareness of the risks these pathogens pose have helped in controlling the spread of disease. Nevertheless, Chlamydi a is still the most frequently reported STD in the United States. In 2009, 1.2 million new cases of Chlamydi a infections were reported in the Unit