New chlamydia species discovered deep under the Arctic Ocean

 When people hear the word chlamydia, they usually think about sexually transmitted infections.

And it's true that the specific bacteria that causes chlamydia typically depend on interactions with other organisms to survive.

So when a team of researchers discovered several new chlamydia-related species deep below the Arctic Ocean, in a place with no oxygen and without an apparent host organism, they were 

"Finding Chlamydiae in this environment was completely unexpected, and of course begged the question what on earth were they doing there?" Jennah Dharamshi, a PhD student at Uppsala University in Sweden and the lead author of a recent study, said in a news release.

The findings, published last week in Current Biology, could shed new light on how chlamydia came to infect humans and other animals.

They came across a number of diverse cousins of chlamydia between 0.1 and 9.4 meters below the seafloor, and found that the new species were closely related to the bacteria that cause infections in humans and other animals.

Bacteria 'exceptionally abundant'

While the authors didn't find other host organisms that the new chlamydia-related bacteria depended on to survive, they said that the species could be getting fuel from other microorganisms deep in the ocean sediment.

"Finding that Chlamydia have marine sediment relatives has given us new insights into how chlamydial pathogens evolved," Dharamshi said.

A team of international researchers made the discovery by collecting samples during a visit to Loki's Castle, a field of hydrothermal vents in the Arctic Ocean between Greenland, Iceland and Norway.

What makes this discovery particularly interesting, scientists said, is the environment in which the bacteria were found.

At a level so deep beneath the ocean's surface, there's almost no oxygen and extremely high pressure. But researchers said they found that the new species of bacteria were "exceptionally abundant" in this part of the ocean -- in some cases, they were even the dominant bacteria.

That could suggest that chlamydia and related bacteria play a much bigger role in marine ecology than previously known, researchers said.

For now, scientists don't know for sure what that role is. But this latest discovery signals that there could be more of these bacteria deep under the ocean's surface. And that might lead to some answers.

The 2nd European Conference of National Strategies for Chlamydia Trachomatis

Last May 23-24, 2013 the 2nd European Conference of National Strategies for Chlamydia trachomatis and Human Papillomavirus was held in Berlin. This is to discuss and provide an outstanding experience for learning and scientific exchange, a tradition consistent with previous European Chlamydia  and Papillomavirus conference. 

The organiser is confident that the conferece will spark the minds of both young as well as established researchers, epidemiologists, clinicians, health care funders, and laboratory doctors, and start valuable discussions, and enrich the Proceedings of this Symposium!

The challenge of the European health care is the recognition of Chlamydia trachomatis and Human Papillomovirus as a public health problem. Nucleic acid amplification tests are the optimal ones for the diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis, but are not routinely used in many countries. On-demand Human Papillomovirus vaccination provision tends to miss the lower socioeconomic groups and minorities, which are exactly the groups that are missed by the opportunistic cervical screening that still prevails in Europe.

This will be a great start to have a proper handling of this spreading infections.

For more details about the EFFECTIVE MEDICINES check TREATMENT OF CHLAMYDIA.

Chlamydia Pictures: Be Aware!

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

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CHLAMYDIA PICTURES and SYMPTOMS

Below are the additional collection of pictures of the effects caused by Chlamydia. Some of these Chlamydia pictures are highly graphic.Information and pictures on this site are provided for informational purposes and are not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider or check the following tested medication for this kind of disease.

Chlamydia Examination for Women

A pelvic exam is done to check a woman's pelvic organs. It may be done as part of a routine physical exam or if a woman is having pelvic problems. During the exam, the woman lies on a table on her back, with her knees bent and her feet and legs supported by stirrups. The health professional inserts a metal or plastic device (speculum) into the woman's vagina. The speculum opens up and holds the sides of the vagina apart.

This allows the examiner to see the opening to the uterus (cervix) and to collect samples of cervical cells for a Pap test (a screening test for cervical cancer).The health professional also feels (palpates) a woman's pelvic organs to check their size and texture by inserting one or two gloved fingers into the vagina and pressing on the lower abdomen with the other hand. Sometimes this exam involves placing a finger in the vagina and rectum at the same time to feel the structures deeper in the pelvis. The woman should tell the health professional if it hurts when her organs are touched or moved.

Ways to Prevent Chlamydia

During my research, I found out that condom and vaginal pouch are some ways to less the chance of getting Chlamydia during sex intercourse. You need to have also a full awareness about this sexually transmitted disease in order to prevent it. What is Chlamydia? and What is the symptoms of this kind of disease? Ask yourself.

According to CDC – Center for Disease Control that the chances of contracting Chlamydia during sex is by using condoms. Planned Parenthood estimates that four million people will get chlamydia every year and many are not aware of it as they do not have any symptoms. Chlamydia is a sexually-transmitted disease (STD) that can be contracted from sexual contact via anal, oral or vaginal intercourse. Straight and gay couples can get this STD unless they are tested and practice safe sex using barrier methods such as condoms. Women who are infected can pass the STD to their infants. Wearing a condom during intercourse reduces the risk of getting Chlamydia but you might still get it if you engage in any form of unprotected sex.

The Centers for Disease (CDC) states that the only ways to prevent getting chlamydia are to abstain from sex or to have sex within a monogamous relationship where both partners are tested for STDs and disease-free. The CDC reported 1,030,911 cases of chlamydia in the U.S. of people not incarcerated.

Diagnostic Suggestion for Chlamydia

-->There are some ways on how to diagnose if you infected by chlamydia. There are some organizations like NHC, UK who offer free test. These are the things normally happened in diagnostic procedure:

• Examination of the cervix and of cervical discharge
• Laboratory culture or chemical tests of cells taken from the penis, cervix, urethra, or anus.

Patient must be aware that pap test may indicate if test for chlamydia are appropriate, but cannot diagnose chlamydia by themselves.

In terms of taking a medicine without prescription of any doctors, gonorrhea and chlamydia have similar symptoms but it doesn’t mean that penicillin will work. Let me repeat that, penicillin has no effect on Chlamydia but it can kill gonorrhea. Other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may also mask the symptoms of Chlamydia. You need to be aware of that. You need to take a medicine that is really design, tested and effectively cure chlamydia.

Chlamydia Symptoms

Before I go to the main topic about Chlamydia Symptoms let me give a bit overview about Chlamydia. The term Chlamydia refers to an infection by any one of the species in the bacterial genus, Chlamydia - Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydia suis, Chlamydia muridarum —but of these, only Chlamydia trachomatis is found in humans.

Chlamydia is an asymptomatic disease for 50-70% of the female population. Of those who have an asymptomatic infection that is not detected by their doctor, 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 organ, which can later cause serious complications, including chronic pelvicpain, difficulty becoming pregnant, ectopic (tubal) preganancy, and other dangerous complications of pregnancy.

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

Chlamydia is known as the "Silent Epidemic" because in women, it may not cause any symptoms and will linger for months or years before being discovered. Chlamydia Symptoms that may occur include: unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge, pain in the abdomen, painful sexual intercourse (dyspareunia), fever, painful urination or the urge to urinate more frequently than usual.

Symptoms

MALE

• burning sensation during urination
• discharge from the penis
• testicular tenderness or pain
• rectal discharge or pain

FEMALE

• vaginal discharge
• burning sensation during urination
• painful sexual intercourse
• symptoms of PID, salpingitis, perihepatitis (liver inflammation similar to hepatitis)
• rectal pain or discharge

Chlamydia Symptoms and Infection

If you have chlamydia, chances are that you may exhibit few symptoms. Chlamydia symptoms may be mild and can easily go undetected. Women are more likely to experience few symptoms associated with the infection although chlamydia in men can also result in few or no symptoms. Signs of chlamydia usually appear between 1 and 3 weeks after infection, though sometimes they can take longer to manifest.

Early chlamydia signs and symptoms tend to be mild and include pain during urination, frequent urination, and low fever. Later symptoms can be more intense and include nausea, fatigue, and abnormal discharge from the vagina or penis. Oral chlamydia, usually passed through oral sex, can result in a sore throat and throat infection. In anal infections, swelling of the rectum can occur. Though rare, males suffering from the disease may experience swelling of the testicles. Other symptoms in women include abdominal pain, lower back pain, irregular menstrual bleeding or spotting, and pain during sex.

If you think you may be infected, or are exhibiting any symptoms of chlamydia, get tested. It is important to treat the disease as soon as possible, as prolonged exposure can cause serious damage to the reproductive organs.

Consequences of Infection

If left untreated, chlamydia can move through the body causing serious health problems. As the infection travels, it can cause eye and throat infections as well as rectal infections. Long-term infection can lead to damage in the uterus and fallopian tubes in women and, in rare cases, sterility in men. Chlamydia in women also leads to an increased risk for developing Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, which can cause fertility problems.

As many as 500 000 PID cases in the United States are due to chlamydia infection. Of these cases, 100 000 women become infertile. Women with chlamydia are also at a higher risk of developing ectopic pregnancies. Chlamydia in men leads to an increased risk of developing epididymitis, which can result in sterility.

Chlamydia infection is dangerous to newborns. If you are pregnant and infected with chlamydia, get tested, because you can pass the infection to your child. Chlamydia infection also increases the risk of contracting HIV. Women with chlamydia are up to 5 times more likely to contract HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS. In rare cases, chlamydia can cause Reiter’s syndrome, a disease characterized by arthritis, skin lesions, and inflammation of the urethra and eyes.

Overview of Chlamydia trachomatis and the Disease.

The Chlamydia is a Bacterial; from the chlamydia trachomatis strain which lives in vaginal fluid and semen. It can transmit mainly through vaginal and anal sex; although it is much less common, it can also be passed on via oral sex and hand to eye contact.
Antibiotics are used to cure the infection. The most common ones include Doxycycline, Erythromycin, Tetracycline, Zithromycin, Ciproflaxacin and Floxacin. Depending on the type you are prescribed, the course of treatment can last from one to seven days. To ensure proper treatment, make sure you finish all your medication and refrain from having sex until your have finished treatment and tests have shown the infection to be gone. It is important to be treated as soon as possible. While the infection can be cleared up, any damage it may have done prior to treatment cannot be undone.f left untreated, the infection can move further into the body. In women, chlamydia can affect the cervix, fallopian tubes and urine canal and can lead to pelvic inflammtory disease (PID). PID can increase your risk of an ectopic preganancy, infertility and chronic pelvic pain. Men who postpone seeking treatment may find themselves with a case of epididymitis, an inflammation of the epididymus in the testicles, which can lead to sterility. The bacteria can also cause irritation and bleeding in the rectum, cause an infection of the eye and lead to an infection of the throat if chlamydia transmission occurred through oral sex. 

Consequences in Infants
Chlamydia in women during pregnancy can cause bleeding before delivery as well as premature labor. During childbirth, it can lead to the infant being exposed to the bacteria in the birth canal. This can lead to an eye infection that develops within 10 days of birth. Symptoms of the infection include discharge and swollen eyelids; complications of the infection include blindness. It is also possible for the infant to develop chlamydia pneumonia, which develops three to six weeks after birth. Symptoms of chlamydia pneumonia include congestion and a cough that worsens. Chlamydia may also be linked to an increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and low birth weight. 

Risk Factors
People who have multiple sex partners, or whose partners have multiple sex partners; who do not use condoms during vaginal, anal or oral sex; have a history of sexually transmitted diseases; and are under the age of 25 are at an increased risk of being infected with chlamydia. Additionally, according to some studies, women who use the birth control pill may have an increased risk of chlamydia. However, their risk of developing PID is lower. 

Prevention
The best way to avoid being infected with chlamydia is to abstain from vaginal, anal and oral sex or to be involved in a long-term, monogamous relationship with someone who has been tested free of any STDs. You can reduce your risk by correctly using latex condoms every time you have sex, although this will not completely eliminate the risk of infection. Additionally, all people, especially women, under the age of 25 should go for yearly chlamydia testing. Pregnant women should also be tested for chlamydia. 

Research
Researchers are currently working on developing a vaccine for chlamydia as well as better diagnostic and treatment measures. There is also some exploration into the possibility of a topical microbicide that is applied to the vagina, which would help prevent transmission of chlamydia.Chlamydia Trachomatis can cause the following conditions:

• Cervicitis
• Conjunctivitis
• Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome
• Lynphogranuloma venereum
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Pneumonia in infants
• Reactive arthritis
• Urethritis
• Rectal infection / proctitis
• Prostatitis