Pneumonie chlamydiale

Chlamydial pneumonia is a lower respiratory tract infection caused by C. pneumoniae, a bacterial pathogen that can also produce upper respiratory tract involvement, bronchitis, or pneumonia through damage to the respiratory lining ^[1]. The organism was formerly termed Chlamydophila pneumoniae ^[1].

Affected individuals commonly experience fatigue, headache, hoarseness, low-grade fever, runny nose, sore throat, and a gradually worsening cough ^[1]. Laryngitis is relatively frequent compared with other bacterial pneumonias, and symptoms may persist for several weeks; serious complications are uncommon ^[1]. Some infected persons remain asymptomatic, with an incubation period of approximately three to four weeks ^[1].

First infections most often appear in school-aged children or young adults, whereas older adults bear a higher burden of reinfection and severe disease ^[1]. Outbreaks can arise in crowded environments where respiratory droplet exposure is concentrated ^[1].

The bacteria are passed between people through cough- or sneeze-generated respiratory droplets that reach another person's mouth or nose, with contaminated hands or surfaces also capable of spreading the organism ^[1].

Covering coughs and sneezes together with regular hand hygiene reduces opportunities for transmission ^[1]. No vaccine exists against C. pneumoniae, and antibiotic prophylaxis after exposure is not routinely recommended ^[1]. Repeated infection is possible, so general hygienic measures remain the main preventive approach ^[1].

1. 1 US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Chlamydia pneumoniae Infection | C. pneumoniae | CDC [Internet]. cited 23 Oct 2026. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/cpneumoniae/about/index.html
2. 2 Yang K et al. Case series and literature review of chlamydial ophthalmia neonatorum in Botswana. Int J STD AIDS. 2023 Oct. PMID: 37338101. doi: 10.1177/09564624231173028. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37338101/