Chlamydia Research Paper

According to World Health Organization, Trachoma is the number one leading cause of preventable blindness, visually impairing approximately 2 million people. At first, Trachoma does not seem like such a dangerous disease. For example, imagine an individual experiencing eye itchiness and irritation. The individual does not think much of it and assumes allergies. However, this may not be signs or symptoms of allergies and if left untreated, this individual could develop partial or even total blindness. Trachoma is a bacterial disease that, most commonly, affects both eyes. Trachoma is most common in children, as well in women “because they tend to spend more time than men do with children” (Solomon 6). It is also more common in underdeveloped …show more content…
According to the book Microbiology: An Introduction, the life cycle of Chlamydia can be described in six steps. However, before one can begin to understand this life cycle there are a few key concepts one must know about Chlamydia. First, the morphology of Chlamydia is complex because it can be found in different forms: elementary bodies, reticulate bodies, and intermediate bodies. The elementary body is the infectious form and is “dense, dark, and relatively small” (Tortora 305). The next form, the reticulate body, is visibly speckled and larger than that of the elementary bodies. This form is responsible for reproduction within the host cell. Lastly, the intermediate body is the stage between the two, and has a dark center. This leads us to the first step of the Chlamydia life cycle: the elementary body, attaches to a host cell with the help of its lipopolysaccharide cell wall. Second, the host cell takes up the elementary body through phagocytosis. Phagocytosis is a process in which bacteria is engulfed by a cell. Third, the elementary body is changed to a reticulate body. The reticulate body is responsible for reproduction therefore; in the fourth step the reticulate body multiplies. Fifthly, the reticulate bodies reverse back to elementary bodies. This allows the disease to spread rapidly. Lastly, the elementary bodies are released concluding the Chlamydia life cycle. (305) The entire life …show more content…
At early stages signs and symptoms may include: mild itching and irritation, discharge, swelling, and pain of the eyes and eyelids (MayoClinic.org). Trachoma can be separated into five distinct stages where these signs and symptoms can be observed. The first stage is inflammation of the follicles. In this stage tiny bumps begin to form under one’s upper eyelid, and at this stage, symptoms have not yet occurred. The second stage can be described as intense inflammation. At this stage one is now experiencing irritation and noticeable swelling of the upper eyelid. As the second stage continues to progress, it forms eyelid scarring, which is the third stage of Trachoma. The eyelid scarring can be seen as white lines and at this stage distortion of the eyelid begins to occur. This distortion can result in entropion, which is the turning in of one’s eye lid. Entropion leads to the fourth stage, trichiasis, which is ingrown eyelashes. These ingrown eyelashes rub and scratch the outer surface of one’s eye, causing the fifth and final stage: corneal clouding. This can then mean partial or compete blindness. The complete blindness is, sadly, irreversible, however there are treatment options for the patient before complete blindness occurs

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