C. trachomatis is naturally found living only inside human cells. Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex, and can be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal childbirth. Between half and three-quarters of all women who have a chlamydia infection of the neck of the womb (cervicitis) have no symptoms and do not know that they are infected. In men, infection of the urethra (arthritis) is usually symptomatic, causing a white discharge from the penis with or without pain on urinating (dysuria). Occasionally, the conditions spread to the upper genital tract in women (causing pelvic inflammatory disease) or to the epididymis in men (causing epididymitis). If untreated, chlamydial infections can cause serious reproductive and other health problems with both short-term and long-term consequences.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a species of Gram-negative kidney bacteria responsible for the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea(3). Gonorrhea is an important public health problem and is the most common reportable infectious disease. Gonorrhea is most frequently spread during sexual contact. However, it can also be transmitted from the mother’s genital tract to the newborn during birth, causing ophthalmia neonatorum and systemic neonatal infection. The incubation period is usually 2-8 days.

In women, the cervix is the most common site of gonorrhea, resulting in endocervicitis and urethritis, which can be complicated by pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). In men, gonorrhea causes anterior urethritis(4).

1) “www.chlamydiae.com (professional) - Taxonomy diagram”, www.chlamydiae.com/docs/Chlamydiales/diagram/taxondiag. retrieved on 2007-10-27.

2) Gerbase AC, Rowley JT, Mertens TE (1998), “Global epidemiology of sexually transmitted diseases”, Lancet 351 Suppl 3: 2–4.

3) Ryan KJ, Ray CG (editors) (2004). Sherris Medical Microbiology (4th ed. ed.). McGraw Hill.

4) Brian Wong, MD, Gonococcal Infections- emedicine, Apr 21, 2009 (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/218059-overview)

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