"Chlamydiae And Chlamydial Infections

Chlamydiae are a group of obligate intracellular microorganisms with a homogeneous group-specific antigenic structure and a unique mode of development. The infections caused by them are unprecedented and wide-spread throughout the world including a broad range of hosts among domestic and animal species and humans and a variety of clinical manifestations. The uniqueness of chlamydia pathology consists mainly in the fact that the agents of the individual diseases are so close in their biological properties that they are represented only by the single genus Chlamydia which includes all currently recognized species. Although chlamydiae and chlamydial infections were discovered a long time ago they are still under-researched and relatively unknown to broad circles of microbiologists virologists epidemiologists and clinicians. A number of issues relating to molecular biology pathogenesis mechanisms of Chlamydia development and their interactions with cells as well as their genetic conditioning and regulation remain unclear. The same is true for ambiguities problems and contradictions related to epidemiology diagnostic approaches immunity and vaccines. Based on scientific facts and the analysis of literature and the experience of the author Chlamydiae and Chlamydial Infections attempts to shed light on the cited problems in terms of modern microbiology cell biology and molecular biology. The scientific topics discussed include:• Biological morphological and antigenic properties of Chlamydia spp• Genes genomic structure and genetic regulations• Conventional diagnostic methods and examinations• Detection and differentiation of Chlamydia organisms by DNA detection systems• Clinical forms and manifestations and drug therapy• Pathology• Epidemiological peculiarities of Chlamydia - induced diseases in animals and humans• Immunity and vaccines