CHLAMYDIA AND CHLAMYDIOSIS

Abstract

Chlamydia is the unique, evolutionarily isolated group of bacteria, the interest in which is growing every year. This is due to the epidemic rise of chlamydial infection in most geographic regions, the wide spread and pathogenetic forms of the caused diseasesvariety, as well as a pronounced negative impact on the health and reproduction of the population. Chlamydia belong to a group of prokaryotes adapted to strict intracellular parasitism, the clinical significance of which is determined by the spread among a wide range of hosts and the variety of clinical manifestations. The main human pathogenic species of the Chlamydiaceae family are C. trachomatis, C. pneumoniae and C. psittaci, which cause severe damage to the respiratory and urogenital tract with the development of serious complications. Chlamydia can interfere with the mechanisms of immune defense, induce immunodeficiency states, long term persistence and chronicity, and the formation of delayed immune mediated pathology.