DJO Grand Rounds - Graham Adult Inclusion Conjunctivitis Management Conjunctival cultures were positive for Chlamydia trachomatis. In contrast, endemic trachoma is caused by immunotypes A, B, Ba, or C. Transmission of AIC is most commonly is through direct contact of the eye with infected genital or urinary secretions.
Indirect transmission can also occur in poorly chlorinated swimming pools.
Whereas trachoma is rare in economically developed countries, AIC is common. The incidence of sexually transmitted chlamydial disease has paralleled the increased incidence of sexually transmitted diseases in general. C. trachomatis has been isolated in 40 to 50 percent of men with non-gonococcal urethritis and in 70 percent of their sexual partners. As many as 25 percent of men with Chlamydia urethritis are asymptomatic. The Chlamydia immunotypes responsible for AIC produce a syndrome clinically distinct from trachoma.