The Role Of Viable But Non Infectious Developmental Forms In Chlamydial Biology

The chlamydiae are Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacteria with a complex developmental cycle comprising a metabolically less-active, infectious stage, the elementary body (EB), and a metabolically more active stage, the reticulate body (RB). They are responsible for many acute and chronic diseases in humans and animals. In order to play a causative role in chronic diseases, chlamydiae would need to persist and to re-activate within infected cells/tissues for extended periods of time. Persistence in vitro is defined as viable but non-cultivable chlamydiae involving morphologically enlarged, aberrant, and nondividing RBs, termed aberrant bodies (AB). In vitro, alterations of the normal developmental cycle of chlamydiae can be induced by the addition of Interferon-? (IFN-?), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) and penicillin G exposure as well as amino acid or iron deprivation, monocyte infection and co-infection with viruses. In vivo, key questions include whether or not ABs occur in infected patients and animals and whether such ABs can contribute to prolonged, chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and scarring through continuing stimulation of the host immune system known from diseases such as trachoma, pelvic inflammatory disease, reactive arthritis and atherosclerosis. To date, the direct causal role in the pathogenesis of chlamydial infection and persistence in vivo has been questioned since there was no tractable animal model of chlamydial persistence so far. A very recent study was able to establish an experimental animal model of in vivo persistence, when C. muridarum vaginally-infected mice were gavaged with amoxicillin. Amoxicillin treatment induced C. muridarum to enter the persistent state in vivo. Recent in vivo data from patients indicate that viable but non-infectious developmental stages are present in the genital tract of chronically-infected women and that the gastrointestinal tract might be a reservoir for persistent chlamydial infections at other sites.

Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria that cause one of the most common sexually transmitted infectious diseases in the world. The infection disproportionately impacts women and the highest prevalence of infection is found in adolescents. Most chlamydial infections are asymptomatic. Untreated infections are sources of further spread of infection and can lead to serious consequences including pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and chronic pelvic pain. Chlamydial infections also increase a person’s susceptibility to HIV and other STDs.Featuring contributions by internationally recognized experts in epidemiology, infectious disease research and chlamydial biology, this book provides up-to-date reviews from a clinical and public health perspective on chlamydia epidemiology and control programs, genomics and pathogenicity, diagnosis, treatment, host immune responses, and the latest on the search for an effective vaccine. Also included are chapters on the impact of chlamydial infection on specific populations such as the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, and an update on the outbreak in Europe of the invasive chlamydial infection, lymphogranuloma venereum or LGV. This comprehensive publication is intended for clinicians, public health workers and scientists with interest in sexually transmitted diseases, medical microbiology, infectious diseases and clinical research.

The genus Chlamydia encompasses a number of species of obligate intracellular bacteria, including important human pathogens like the most common bacterial agent of sexually transmitted disease. This volume reviews current knowledge of chlamydial biology, covering the unusual structure of the bacteria – which alternate between metabolically almost inactive and fast-dividing forms. It also discusses the ways in which Chlamydia manipulates the host cytoskeleton and subverts the host cell’s defence, and illustrates how genomics have begun to uncover the diversity and complexity of chlamydial strains that look very similar but may cause distinct forms of disease. Further, it describes how techniques are now finally being established that can genetically modify Chlamydia, and discusses why such modification is still very difficult and what progress we can expect. Lastly, it presents our current understanding of chlamydial disease: what do we know about chronic infections, what are the mechanisms of inflammatory damage, and what are the prospects of a vaccine? Written be specialists in these various areas, the book is a valuable work of reference for students and scientists with an interest in the molecular, cellular and immunobiology of these fascinating bacteria.

New emerging diseases, new diagnostic modalities for resource-poor settings, new vaccine schedules ... all significant, recent developments in the fast-changing field of tropical medicine. Hunter’s Tropical Medicine and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 10th Edition, keeps you up to date with everything from infectious diseases and environmental issues through poisoning and toxicology, animal injuries, and nutritional and micronutrient deficiencies that result from traveling to tropical or subtropical regions. This comprehensive resource provides authoritative clinical guidance, useful statistics, and chapters covering organs, skills, and services, as well as traditional pathogen-based content. You’ll get a full understanding of how to recognize and treat these unique health issues, no matter how widespread or difficult to control. Includes important updates on malaria, leishmaniasis, tuberculosis and HIV, as well as coverage of Ebola, Zika virus, Chikungunya, and other emerging pathogens. Provides new vaccine schedules and information on implementation. Features five all-new chapters: Neglected Tropical Diseases: Public Health Control Programs and Mass Drug Administration; Health System and Health Care Delivery; Zika; Medical Entomology; and Vector Control – as well as 250 new images throughout. Presents the common characteristics and methods of transmission for each tropical disease, as well as the applicable diagnosis, treatment, control, and disease prevention techniques. Contains skills-based chapters such as dentistry, neonatal pediatrics and ICMI, and surgery in the tropics, and service-based chapters such as transfusion in resource-poor settings, microbiology, and imaging. Discusses maladies such as delusional parasitosis that are often seen in returning travelers, including those making international adoptions, transplant patients, medical tourists, and more.

Legionnaires' disease, a pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacterium, is the leading cause of reported waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States. Legionella occur naturally in water from many different environmental sources, but grow rapidly in the warm, stagnant conditions that can be found in engineered water systems such as cooling towers, building plumbing, and hot tubs. Humans are primarily exposed to Legionella through inhalation of contaminated aerosols into the respiratory system. Legionnaires' disease can be fatal, with between 3 and 33 percent of Legionella infections leading to death, and studies show the incidence of Legionnaires' disease in the United States increased five-fold from 2000 to 2017. Management of Legionella in Water Systems reviews the state of science on Legionella contamination of water systems, specifically the ecology and diagnosis. This report explores the process of transmission via water systems, quantification, prevention and control, and policy and training issues that affect the incidence of Legionnaires' disease. It also analyzes existing knowledge gaps and recommends research priorities moving forward.

Women and Health is a comprehensive reference that addresses health issues affecting women of all ages — from adolescence through maturity. It goes far beyond other books on this topic, which concentrate only on reproductive health, and has a truly international perspective. It covers key issues ranging from osteoporosis to breast cancer and other cancers, domestic violence, sexually transmitted diseases, occupational hazards, eating disorders, heart disease and other chronic illnesses, substance abuse, and societal and behavioral influences on health. In this second edition of Women and Health, chapters thoughtfully explore the current state of women’s health and health care, including the influences of sex and gender on the occurrence of a wide variety of diseases and conditions. All chapters have been extensively updated and emphasize the epidemiology of the condition — the etiology, occurrence, primary and secondary prevention (screening), risk factors, surveillance, changing trends over time, and critical analysis of the diagnostic and treatment options and controversies. Treatment sections in each chapter have been expanded to create a stronger dialogue between epidemiologists and women's health practitioners. Saves researchers and clinicians time in quickly accessing the very latest details on a broad range of women’s health issues, as opposed to searching through thousands of journal articles Provides a common language for epidemiologists, public health practitioners, and women’s health specialists to discuss the behavioral, cultural, and biological determinants of women’s health Researchers and medical specialists will learn how the gender-specific risks and features of one organ system’s diseases affect the health of other organ systems For example: Hormone replacement therapy used to treat imbalance within the endocrine system is also being used to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease; Drugs developed for type 2 diabetes are now being used in chemoprevention Orients the non-gerontologist about the importance of considering the entire life cycle of women within research designs and treatment plans Professors teaching courses in women’s health will use slides and additional materials to structure lectures/courses; students will use slides as a unique resource to study for exams

First Published in 1988, this book offers a full, comprehensive guide into microbiology of Chlamydia and its relationship with our bodies. Carefully compiled and filled with a vast repertoire of notes, pictures, and references this book serves as a useful reference for Students of Medicine, and other practitioners in their respective fields.

The Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS, 4th Edition, by Drs. Stephen A. Morse, King K. Holmes, Adele A. Moreland, MD, and Ronald C. Ballard, provides you with an exclusive gallery of STD and AIDS images so you can better diagnose and treat these diseases. Approximately 1,100 unique images – most in full color and 30% new to this edition – depict the clinical signs associated with each type of infection. You’ll also find expert guidance on new vaccines, screening techniques, treatment guidelines, and best practices in the field. Get expert advice on the tests available to reach a definitive diagnosis and review therapeutic options, treatment guidelines, prevention strategies, and management of complications. Access appendices on the selection and evaluation of diagnostic tests, quality control, and test technologies. Effectively diagnose all types of STDs and HIV/AIDS with approximately 1,100 images—most in full color and more than 30% new to this edition―that depict the epidemiology as well as the clinical manifestations of these diseases. Effectively utilize new vaccines for HPV and Hepatitis B, new screening tests for Chlamydia, new drugs under development, new treatment guidelines and best practices in HIV screening, and much more.