6 topics with concise breakdowns: definitions, key facts, and class questions.
In this section, we analyze obligate intracellular bacteria — Chlamydia, as well as related pathogens causing ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. They feature a unique life cycle alternating between elementary and reticulate bodies, making them a favorite topic for examiners.
Materials on key pathologies are gathered here. You will study the causative agent of trachoma, which threatens blindness, and classic urogenital chlamydia, which breaks prevalence records. We will also examine a tropical infection in detail — lymphogranuloma venereum.
A separate block is dedicated to respiratory tract infections. You will learn how the human-to-human transmitted respiratory chlamydiosis pathogen differs from the psittacosis pathogen acquired from birds. Classes most frequently focus on the differential diagnosis of these infections, Chlamydia developmental phases, and laboratory diagnostic methods (PCR and ELISA).
Can a primary skin affect be found in a patient with ehrlichiosis?
No, the absence of a primary affect (changes at the site of pathogen entry) is a key feature distinguishing this group of diseases from certain other vector-borne infections.
Who discovered the trachoma pathogen?
The pathogen was discovered in 1907 by S. Prowazek and L. Halberstaedter upon detecting specific intracellular inclusions in corneal cells.
Can you get chlamydia in a swimming pool?
Yes, there is so-called "pool chlamydia", in which genital serovars get onto the eye mucosa, causing keratoconjunctivitis.
Which clinical sign is considered primary in this disease?
A key symptom is pronounced involvement of regional lymph nodes (most commonly inguinal) with the formation of dense purulent buboes and long-healing fistulae.
Can you get infected with respiratory chlamydiosis again?
Yes, robust immunity is not formed after the infection, therefore recurrent cases of the disease (re-infection) and prolonged asymptomatic carriage are possible.
Why does the infection have two names — ornithosis and psittacosis?
In 1876, the disease was linked exclusively to parrots, hence it was named psittacosis. Later it turned out that carriers include over 170 species of various birds, so the term was expanded to "ornithosis".
Study the full topic in the «Microbiology» course
This is a summary. The course covers everything tested in classes and exams.
4,383 pages of study guides across all topics
Assignments and quizzes after every topic — just like in a colloquium