Chlamydia trachomatis respiratory infection in Dutch infants.
Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial pathogen causing sexually transmitted infections in Dutch adults. As prenatal screening for C trachomatis and treatment of pregnant women is not routine practice in The Netherlands, perinatal transmission of C trachomatis may therefore occur. The presence of C trachomatis in infants less than 6 months of age who presented with respiratory complaints to the Erasmus MC-Sophia hospital was evaluated. Respiratory specimens, primarily nasopharyngeal swabs, were tested for C trachomatis, respiratory viruses and Mycoplasma pneumoniae using PCR, viral isolation in cell cultures and direct immunofluorescence. C trachomatis respiratory tract infection was confirmed to be relatively common with detection in 10 of 148 (7%) infants tested. C trachomatis had not been tested for by the attending physicians, but was the second most frequently detected respiratory pathogen after human Respiratory Syncitial Virus, which was found in 41 (28%) infants.
Rours
G I J G
GI
Division of Paediatrics and Immunology, Department of Paediatrics Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. g.rours@erasmusmc.nl
Hammerschlag
M R
MR
Van Doornum
G J J
GJ
Hop
W C J
WC
de Groot
R
R
Willemse
H F M
HF
Verbrugh
H A
HA
Verkooyen
R P
RP
D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008297:Male; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009426:Netherlands; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D012189:Retrospective Studies