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Sexually transmitted disease that causes blindness
evades detection.
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| Subject: |
Blindness
(Risk factors) Sexually transmitted diseases (Complications and side effects) Sexually transmitted diseases (Diagnosis) Sexually transmitted diseases (Care and treatment) |
| Pub Date: | 04/01/2012 |
| Publication: | Name: Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness Publisher: American Foundation for the Blind Audience: Academic Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Health Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 American Foundation for the Blind ISSN: 0145-482X |
| Issue: | Date: April, 2012 Source Volume: 106 Source Issue: 4 |
| Geographic: | Geographic Scope: United States Geographic Code: 1USA United States |
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| Accession Number: | 287867031 |
| Full Text: |
Chlamydia trachomatis--the most common sexually transmitted disease
in the world and the leading cause of infectious blindness--is causing
concern among scientists, since a recent discovery revealed that
undetectable strains of chlamydia are evolving faster than previously
believed. Chlamydia is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis,
the same bacterium that causes trachoma, a type of infectious blindness
that occurs primarily in rural settings in developing countries, but can
appear in crowded cities in impoverished neighborhoods where poor
hygiene is present. Often spread through casual contact, the most common
route of infection of the bacterium is through sexual intercourse. In
2010, over a million chlamydial infections were reported in the United
States to the Centers for Disease Control. Because most people with
chlamydia are not aware of their infection, it is estimated that well
over two million infections actually occur annually in the United
States. This high rate of infections is particularly alarming given the
recent discoveries of new strains of the chlamydia bacterium by
researchers from a collaboration that included the London School of
Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute,
based near Cambridge, England. Since diagnosis of chlamydia is currently limited to a positive or negative test result, there is no way to differentiate between multiple stains of chlamydia a person might be infected with. As a result, if a second or third strain of bacteria is present, a physician may be unable to determine whether antibiotic treatment has failed or if a patient has picked up a new infection after successful treatment of the first infection. Given the revelation of the evolution of chlamydia, it is likely that eventual antibiotic resistance will evolve in some new future strains of the disease, putting the health and eyesight of millions at risk. Researchers are currently expanding their understanding of the Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium by working on deciphering its entire genomic sequence. By being able to identify and monitor new strains, cases of infectious blindness and sexually transmitted disease infection from chlamydia in the future can be effectively prevented or treated. For more information, contact: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, United Kingdom; web site: |
| Gale Copyright: | Copyright 2012 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. |
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