The History of Tracoma and Ophthalmia

With this episode, you’re getting much more than you probably bargained for, thanks to the quirks of Chlamydia trachomatis. This small but mighty bacterium can cause a number of different conditions throughout your body, most notably in your eyes and your genital tract, and the resulting infections, if left untreated, can lead to substantial and permanent damage. In this episode, we focus on the two most common forms of chlamydia infection, trachoma (eyes) and chlamydia (genital tract), and discuss the similar pathway through which this bacterium leads to these distinct diseases. While the biology of trachoma and chlamydia may be similar, the history of these two infections could not be more distinct. Tune in to hear what ancient medical texts have to say about trachoma, how surprisingly recently chlamydia was recognized as an STI, and where we stand with these two incredibly common infections today!

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