Chlamydiae & Rickettsiae

DR. Noura AL-Sweih

Chlamydiae
 Obligate intracellular pathogens
 They differ from other bacteria
 Have no peptidoglygan in cell wall
 Not produce ATP  need host ATP  Energy
parasites
 Growth Cycle ( biphasic life cycle)
Chlamydiae

Chlamydiae

EB RB
 Elementary bodies Reticulate bodies
 Extra cellular form Intracellular form
 Infective form Replicative form
Chlamydiae

Common Pathogens

 Chlamydia trachomatis
 Chlamydia psittaci
 Chlamydia pneumoniae
Chlamydiae
Chlamydia trachomatis
Clinical Infections
Ocular infections
 Trachoma
 Common in children
 Spread by flies or fingers
 An important cause of blindness
 Adult inclusion conjunctivitis
 Spread from genitalia to eye
 Common in sexually active young people
 Self limiting
Chlamydiae
Chlamydial opthalmia neonatorum
 Neonates 1-3weeks after birth
 Source is mother birth canal
Genital Infections
Males
 Non-gonococcal urethritis
 Genital ulcer & lymphoadenopathy known as
Lymphogranuloma venereum/LGV  found in
tropics
Chlamydiae
Genital Infections
Females
 Urethritis & cervicitis
 Endometritis & salpingitis 
 Ectopic pregnancy & infertility
Respiratory Infections
 Neonatal pneumonitis
Diagnosis of Chlamydia

Inclusion bodies
Tissue culture

Inclusion bodies

DNA
 Inclusion
Neonatal pneumonitis conjunctivitis

Trachoma opthalmia
neonatorum
Chlamydiae
Chlamydia Pneumoniae
Clinical Infections
 Otitis & sinusitis
 Pneumonia & bronchitis
Chlamydia Psittaci
Clinical Infections
Psittacosis or Ornithosis
 Non-human pathogen/ zoonotic
infection
 Droplet infection
 Bird handlers
 Atypical Pneumonia
Chlamydiae

Treatment
 Tetracycline ? why
 Erythromycin
Rickettsia

 Obligate intracellular Gram- negative

 Need arthropod vector as part of their natural
life cycle
 Man gets infection through bite or feces of
infected arthropod vector
 Infect endothelial cells  microvascular
injury
Rickettsia
Common Pathogens
Three groups
 Typhus group
 Spotted fever group
 Scrub typhus group
Human diseases caused by rickettsia

 Group/Species Transmission Disease


Typhus group Macular rash
 Epidemic typhus Louse feces Haemorrhagic rash
Hypotension
&Renal failure
 Spotted fever group

 Tick-borne spotted fever Ticks bite Fever, headache &

rash, Escar at bite site
Scrub typhus group
 Scrub typhus Mite bite Eschar at bite site
Pneumonitis
Treatment for all species and cases is
Tetracycline
Rickettsia

Infection of
Endothelial cells

Tick
 Rickettsia

Rickettsia
Ecsar

Macular rash
scrub