Chlamydophila pneumoniae is a species of Chlamydophila, an obligate intracellular bacteriumthat infects humans and is a major cause of pneumonia. It was known as the Taiwan acute respiratory agent (TWAR) from the names of the two original isolates – Taiwan (TW-183) and an acute respiratory isolate designated AR-39.Until recently, it was known as Chlamydia pneumoniae, and that name is used as an alternate in some sources.  In some cases, to avoid confusion, both names are given.

Chlamydophila pneumoniae is a small bacterium (0.2 to 1 μm) that undergoes several transformations during its life cycle. It exists as an elementary body (EB) between hosts. The EB is not biologically active, but is resistant to environmental stresses and can survive outside a host for a limited time. The EB travels from an infected person to the lungs of an uninfected person in small droplets and is responsible for infection. Once in the lungs, the EB is taken up by cells in a pouch called an endosome by a process called phagocytosis. However, the EB is not destroyed by fusion with lysosomes, as is typical for phagocytosed material. Instead, it transforms into a reticulate body and begins to replicate within the endosome. The reticulate bodies must use some of the host’s cellular metabolism to complete its replication. The reticulate bodies then convert back to elementary bodies and are released back into the lung, often after causing the death of the host cell. The EBs are thereafter able to infect new cells, either in the same organism or in a new host. Thus, the life cycle of C. pneumoniae is divided between the elementary body, which is able to infect new hosts but can not replicate, and the reticulate body, which replicates but is not able to cause new infection.

Ordering Information:

• 1. Cassette Cat No.: AN4002C
• 2. Dipstick Cat No.: AN4002S

Helpful Documents:

• 1. Instruction for use
• 2. MSDS