Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis: involvement of multiple anatomic sites in neonates.

In a study of infection due to Chlamydia trachomatis in infants, chlamydiae were recovered not only from the conjunctiva and respiratory tract but also from the vagina and rectum. The timing of recovery suggested that the vagina and conjunctivae are exposed to chlamydiae at birth and that pneumonia and gastrointestinal infection occur later. Sampling of the rectum may be a useful procedure for the diagnosis of chlamydial disease in infants.