Viruses, Vol. 15, Pages 1954: When Bacteria and Viruses Collide: A Tale of Chlamydia trachomatis and Sexually Transmitted Viruses

Viruses, Vol. 15, Pages 1954: When Bacteria and Viruses Collide: A Tale of Chlamydia trachomatis and Sexually Transmitted Viruses Viruses doi: 10.3390/v15091954 Authors: Ehsan Ghasemian Emma Harding-Esch David Mabey Martin J. Holland The global incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remains high, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that over 1 million people acquire STIs daily. STIs can lead to infertility, pregnancy complications, and cancers. Co-infections with multiple pathogens are prevalent among individuals with an STI and can lead to heightened infectivity and more severe clinical manifestations. Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the most reported bacterial STI worldwide in both men and women, and several studies have demonstrated co-infection of CT with viral and other bacterial STIs. CT is a gram-negative bacterium with a unique biphasic developmental cycle including infectious extracellular elementary bodies (EBs) and metabolically active intracellular reticulate bodies (RBs). The intracellular form of this organism, RBs, has evolved mechanisms to persist for long periods within host epithelial cells in a viable but non-cultivable state. The co-infections of CT with the most frequently reported sexually transmitted viruses: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papillomavirus (HPV), and herpes simplex virus (HSV) have been investigated through in vitro and in vivo studies. These research studies have made significant stride...
Source: Viruses - Category: Virology Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research