NC_017437:641843 Chlamydia trachomatis A2497 chromosome, complete genome
Host Lineage: Chlamydia trachomatis; Chlamydia; Chlamydiaceae; Chlamydiales; Chlamydiae; Bacteria
General Information: Bacteria belonging to the Chlamydiales group are obligate intracellular parasites of eukaryotic cells. They are found within vertebrates, invertebrate cells, and amoebae hosts. Chlamydiae are one of the commonest causes of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and if left untreated may cause infertility in women. They are transmitted by direct contact or aerosols, and can cause various diseases, while also being able to coexist with the host in an apparently asymptomatic state. This species causes infection that leads to blindness and sexually transmitted diseases in humans. There are 15 serovariants that preferentially cause disease in either the eye or the urogenital tract. The trachoma (infection of the mucous membrane of the eyelids) biovars are noninvasive and can cause blinding trachoma (variants A, B, Ba, and C), or sexually transmitted diseases (variants, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K). The lymphogranuloma venereum biovars (variants L1, L2, and L3) can cross the epithelial cells of mucous membranes and then travel through the lymphatic system where they multiply within mononuclear phagocytes found within the lymph nodes.