Chlamydia trachomatis, a sexually transmitted bacterium, affected over 1.2 million people in the United States in 2008, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. It is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease, or STD, in the country. Most people who have chlamydia have no symptoms and easily transmit the disease to other sexual partners. Burning and urination and discharge are the most common symptoms of the infection. Chlamydia can infect the eyes through hand to eye contact if the bacteria remain on the hands after touching the genitals, or be passed to newborns during birth.
Types
Chlamydia causes several different types of eye disease. Trachoma, caused by certain subtypes of chlamydia trachomatis, affects more than 8 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of infectious blindness in the world, according to MayoClinic.com. The risk of developing trachoma is highest in the first three to six years of life, Family Practice Notebook states.
Chlamydia trachomatis also causes conjunctivitis, reddening and inflammation of the conjunctiva, the tissue that lines the eye and lower eyelid, in 2 percent of people with genital chlamydia infection. Twenty percent of all acute cases of neonatal and adult inclusion conjunctivitis are caused by chlamydia trachomatis, EyeRounds reports. Chlamydia pneumoniae and chlamydia psittachi can also cause conjunctivitis.
Symptoms
Trachoma starts with itching and irritation of the eye, accompanied by a pus or mucus discharge. Later, photophobia, or extreme light sensitivity, blurred vision and pain in the eye develop. The eyelid becomes swollen and scarred, and the eyelashes turn inward, irritating and scratching the cornea, the covering of the front of the eye. Infected ulcers develop on the surface of the cornea, leading to partial or complete blindness, MayoClinic.com states.
Chlamydial conjunctivitis causes a pink or red eye, mucus discharge, swollen eyelids, crusting on the eyelashes, tearing, light sensitivity and decreased vision. Usually just one eye is affected, although both can be, EyeRounds reports.
Diagnosis
Chlamydial eye infections are diagnosed by culturing the organism and sending the sample to a laboratory for testing.
Treatment
Chlamydia eye infections are treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics used to treat trachoma include tetracycline eye ointment and oral azithromycin , sold as Zithromax. Scarred eyelids in trachoma may require surgery. Corneal transplant can help restore vision if severe corneal damage occurs. Conjunctivitis treatment includes antibiotic ointments as well as systemic antibiotics to treat the genital infection usually also present.
Complications
Chlamydia infections cause 15 percent of the world’s blindness, Family Practice Notebook warns, despite the fact that the infection is easily treated once diagnosed.
