The key difference between Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae is that Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacterium that commonly causes a sexually transmitted infection known as Chlamydia, while Chlamydia pneumoniae is a bacterium that commonly causes respiratory infections such as pneumonia.
Chlamydia is a genus of pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. These bacteria are obligate intracellular parasites. Chlamydia infections, such as sexually transmitted diseases, infectious blindness, and respiratory infections, are very common human diseases. Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae are two pathogenic species that belong to the genus Chlamydia.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Chlamydia Trachomatis
3. What is Chlamydia Pneumoniae
4. Similarities – Chlamydia Trachomatis and Chlamydia Pneumoniae
5. Chlamydia Trachomatis vs Chlamydia Pneumoniae in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Chlamydia Trachomatis vs Chlamydia Pneumoniae
What is Chlamydia trachomatis?
Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacterium that commonly causes the sexually transmitted infection known as Chlamydia. It affects mostly young women. However, it can occur in both men and women of all ages. C. trachomatis bacterium is generally spread through vaginal, oral, and anal sex. Moreover, pregnant women can spread this bacterium to their children during delivery. The risk factors that increase the chances of Chlamydia trachomatis infection include having multiple sex partners, being sexually active before age 25, consistently not using condoms, and having a history of sexually transmitted diseases.
Figure 01: Chlamydia trachomatis
The signs and symptoms of C. trachomatis infection include painful urination, discharge from the penis in men, vaginal discharge in women, pain during sexual intercourse in women, bleeding after sex in women, bleeding between periods in women, and testicular pain in men. The complications that are involved in C. trachomatis include pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), epididymitis, prostate gland infection, infections in newborns, ectopic pregnancies, and infertility.
C. trachomatis infection can be diagnosed through physical examination, urine tests, and swab tests. Furthermore, treatment options for C. trachomatis infections may include antibiotics such as doxycycline and azithromycin and abstaining from sex till resolving the infection.
What is Chlamydia Pneumoniae?
Chlamydia pneumoniae is a bacterium that commonly causes respiratory or lung infections. This bacterium causes illness by damaging the lining of the respiratory tract, including the throat, trachea, and lungs. C. pneumoniae spreads through coughing or sneezing, which creates respiratory droplets that contain the bacteria. School-aged children, young adults, older adults (reinfection), and those who live or work in crowded settings such as schools, college residence halls, military barracks, long-term care settings, hospitals, and prisons are more likely to contract this infection. The common symptoms of C. pneumoniae are runny or stuffy nose, fatigue, low-grade fever, hoarseness or loss of voice, sore throat, worsening cough that lasts for weeks or months, and headache. Moreover, the complications that result from Chlamydia pneumoniae infection include bronchitis, pneumonia, laryngitis, worsening asthma, encephalitis, and myocarditis.
Figure 02: Chlamydia pneumoniae
C. pneumoniae infection can be diagnosed through laboratory tests such as testing sputum (phlegm) or swab from the nose or throat and blood tests. Furthermore, treatment options for C. pneumoniae infection include antibiotics such as macrolides (azithromycin), tetracycline, doxycycline, and fluoroquinolones.
What are the Similarities Between Chlamydia Trachomatis and Chlamydia Pneumoniae?
- Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae are two pathogenic species that belong to the genus Chlamydia.
- Both bacterial species are Gram-negative.
- They are obligate intracellular parasites.
- Both bacterial species can cause life-threatening complications.
- Specific antibiotics can treat their infections.
What is the Difference Between Chlamydia Trachomatis and Chlamydia Pneumoniae?
Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacterium that commonly causes sexually transmitted infections known as Chlamydia, while Chlamydia pneumoniae is a bacterium that commonly causes respiratory infections such as pneumonia. Thus, this is the key difference between Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae. Furthermore, the Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium is most commonly spread through vaginal, oral, and anal sex, while the Chlamydia pneumoniae bacterium is most commonly spread through coughing or sneezing, which creates respiratory droplets that contain bacteria.
The below infographic presents the differences between Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Chlamydia Trachomatis vs Chlamydia Pneumoniae
Chlamydia is a genus of pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae are two different pathogenic species belonging to the genus Chlamydia. Chlamydia trachomatis causes a sexually transmitted infection known as Chlamydia, while Chlamydia pneumoniae causes respiratory infections such as pneumonia. So, this is the key difference between Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae.
Reference:
1. “Chlamydia Trachomatis.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 11 Feb. 2022.
2. “Chlamydia Pneumoniae Infection.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 Nov. 2021.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Chlamydia trachomatis Bacteria and the PmpD Protein” By NIAID (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
2. “12035 2012 8320 Fig3 HTML” By Giovanna De Chiara, Maria Elena Marcocci, Rossella Sgarbanti, Livia Civitelli, Cristian Ripoli, Roberto Piacentini, Enrico Garaci, Claudio Grassi, Anna Teresa Palamara – Springer (CC BY 2.5) via Commons Wikimedia
