Chlamydia infection (from the
Greek, χλαμύδα meaning "cloak") is a common
sexually transmitted infection in humans caused by the bacterium
Chlamydia trachomatis. The term
Chlamydia infection can also refer to infection caused by any
species belonging to the bacterial
family Chlamydiaceae.
C. trachomatis is found only in humans. Chlamydia is a major infectious cause of human
genital and
eye disease. Chlamydia infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide; it is estimated that about 1 million individuals in the
United States are infected with chlamydia.