Chlamydia trachomatis
species of bacterium
Chlamydia trachomatis () is a Gram-negative, anaerobic bacterium responsible for chlamydia and trachoma. C. trachomatis exists in two forms, an extracellular infectious elementary body (EB) and an intracellular non-infectious reticulate body (RB). The EB attaches to host cells and enter the cell using effector proteins, where it transforms into the metabolically active RB. Inside the cell, RBs rapidly replicate before transitioning back to EBs, which are then released to infect new host cells.
The earliest description of C. trachomatis was in 1907 by Stanislaus von Prowazek and Ludwig Halberstädter as a protozoan. It was later thought to be a virus due to its small size and inability to grow in laboratories. It was not until 1966 when it was discovered as a bacterium by electron microscopy after its internal structures were visually observed.
There are currently 18 serovars of C. trachomatis, each associated with specific diseases affecting mucosal cells in genital tracts and ocular systems. Infections are often asymptomatic, but can lead to severe complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease in women and epididymitis in men. The bacterium also causes urethritis, conjunctivitis, and lymphogranuloma venereum in both sexes. C. trachomatis genitourinary infections are diagnosed more frequently in women than in men, with the highest prevalence occurring in females aged 15 to 19 years of age.
The public source identifies “Chlamydia trachomatis” as species of bacterium. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Chlamydia, trachomatis and species.
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Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 31, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q131065. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1907 and 1966.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Chlamydia trachomatis” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.