Chlamydia, a curable sexually transmitted infection (STI), is the most frequently reported bacterial STI in the United States. It is estimated that there are approximately 2.8 million new cases of chlamydia in the United States each year. In 2006, there were 1,030,911 chlamydial infections reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 50 states and the District of Columbia. Chlamydia cases frequently go undiagnosed and can cause serious problems in men and women, such as penile discharge and infertility respectively, as well as infections in newborn babies of infected mothers.
NIAID Research on Chlamydia
Scientists are looking for better ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent chlamydia. For example, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) researchers at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories are developing a vaccine to prevent C. trachomatis infection. The vaccine being tested is a single-component vaccine that is designed to protect against all 15 chlamydia varieties. Studies have already shown that the vaccine can prevent laboratory cells from becoming infected.
More NIAID Research on Chlamydia |