Chlamydia trachomatis

The estimated incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection is over 100 million cases globally and almost 1 million in the United States. Infection with C. trachomatis tends to be asymptomatic and of long duration. If a pregnant woman has active infection during delivery, the infant may acquire the infection, which can result in conjunctivitis or pneumonia. The most effective method of controlling perinatal C. trachomatis infection is the screening and treatment of pregnant women. Identification of infected mothers offers the opportunity to provide treatment for their sexual partners to help prevent reinfection and Chlamydia-associated morbidity in them, in addition to preventing morbidity during pregnancy and perinatal infection. Further research on prevention, especially in resource-limited settings, is most important. The implementation of prenatal screening and treatment is feasible now and will greatly reduce morbidity in pregnant women, their sexual partners, and their infants.