Human chlamydial infections: Persistence, prevalence, and outlook for the future

Abstract

Infectious diseases have imposed a profound burden on mankind throughout the history of our species. Importantly, many of the microbe-induced diseases that have plagued us for millennia remain of significant concern in industrialized nations, developing nations, or both, including tuberculosis, cholera, and others. Bacterial pathogens of the Order Chlamydiales have caused disease in both humans and domestic animals for thousands of years, but it is only recently that we have begun to fully understand the subtle and complex long-term consequences of human chlamydial infections. In this article, we describe the current understanding of the biology and pathobiology of the human pathogens Chlamydia trachomatis and C. pneumoniae. We discuss the acute diseases that these important organisms cause, and more importantly, we describe the known and suspected chronic disease sequelae that follow those primary infections. Finally, we explore the economic, social, and human consequences of chlamydial infections, and we propose strategies for ameliorating or obviating those consequences. © NSS Dialogues, EDP Sciences 2006.