Understanding Chlamydia Trachomatis: Clinical Manifestations and Incubation

Clinical Features. Chlamydia trachomatis is an infection that often goes unnoticed. Patients typically present asymptomatic and are only diagnosed after routine testing. Those that do have symptoms typically report an onset within two to three weeks after sexual contact. Because of the low occurrence of symptoms and the reluctance of patients to report symptoms, the incubation period is very vague with an estimate being around a few weeks. C. trachomatis grows slowly adding to the length of the incubation period. The symptomatology of a C. trachomatis infection is often lead by complaints of yellow and purulent vaginal discharge, abnormal bleeding between periods and after sexual intercourse, and sometimes pain in the lower abdomen. Occasionally, there are urinary symptoms such as painful urination or a burning sensation when urinating, having to urinate more frequently (polyuria), or trouble urinating. Men may present with similar symptoms such as a mucus and fluid discharge from the urethra and urinary complaints. A rarer occurrence is testicular pain, tenderness, and swelling known as epididymitis. It is possible for patients to present with a rectal infection involving pain and swelling of the rectum, or even an eye infection known as conjunctivitis. If left

C. trachomatis infections are easily treated with a course of antibiotics. According to The Centers for Disease Control, some common treatment options include: Azithromycin 1 gram orally taken in one single dose or Doxycycline 100mg. orally two times a day for a week. (CDC 2015) Azithromycin is effective in treating C. trachomatis infections because it works by binding to the 50S ribosome, which in turn stops protein synthesis. Some major adverse effects include cholestatic jaundice, angioedema, and palpitations. Doxycycline binds to the 30S ribosome, also stopping protein synthesis. Some adverse effects of Doxycycline include neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and Stevens-Johnson