What is a chlamydial infection of the eye?
Chlamydia is a specific type of bacteria that lives and multiplies inside body cells. A distinction is made between several types, which attack different organs: For example, the subspecies Chalmydia trachomatis, which is important here, attacks the eye and the genital area. A chlamydia infection of the eye usually leads to conjunctivitis, which initially manifests itself through the corresponding symptoms (redness, itching, burning, photophobia – more on this below) and, if left untreated, can in the worst case result in loss of vision.
Causes
The cause of this type of eye infection is – as mentioned above – the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Especially some subtypes of this bacterium are concerned, which will not be discussed here. These Chlamydia preferentially colonize mucous membranes, especially those in the genital and urinary tract, but also the mucous membrane of the eye. Therefore, insufficient hygiene can often be considered as the cause of a chlamydia infection of the eye, and not necessarily by the affected person himself: Persons with whom the affected person has had intensive and intimate physical contact can also transmit chlamydia through inadequate hygiene and thus cause an infection.
Transmission path
The most common, as already mentioned in the previous section, is the transmission of Chlamydia from person to person. In many tropical areas, there is also transmission of flies directly to humans, making chlamydia infection one of the most common causes of blindness in these areas. In Europe, however, this type of transmission is negligible.
The transmission route from person to person is usually favoured by a lack of hygiene or intimate contact: It is remarkable that chlamydial infection of the urinary or genital tract is very often not even noticed by the person affected. This can then result in the unintentional transfer of the bacteria from the genital area to the mucous membrane of the eye. But transmission can also occur in places where many people are present at the same time: These include swimming pools and saunas.
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Chlamydia can be transmitted very easily and quickly. Even a single contact with Chlamydia can lead to infection. Since chlamydia infections in the urinary or genital tract often go unnoticed without symptoms, it is difficult to determine an exact number of bacteria required for an infection. At the same time, however, this is a factor that must be taken into account as a matter of course when considering the risk of infection: An infection or transmission can also occur when the person transmitting the infection has no symptoms or is not even aware of his or her own infection.
Diagnosis
For the diagnosis of a Chlamydia infection, no matter which localization, the bacteria should always be detected from cell material of the affected region. A smear can be taken from the eye, which is then sent to a laboratory. Here the detection is carried out, which is difficult compared to other bacteria: the reason for this is that chlamydiae are almost exclusively found in the body cells. The laboratory can therefore take up to 14 days to detect or obtain a result. In some cases, it may therefore be necessary to start treatment before the diagnostic result is obtained.
