Chlamydia

/kləˈmɪdiə/ noun

A common sexually transmitted bacterial infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, often asymptomatic but potentially serious if untreated.

From Modern Latin, derived from Greek chlamys meaning 'cloak' or 'mantle', referring to the way the bacteria appears to be wrapped or cloaked within infected cells. The genus was named in 1945 when scientists observed how these bacteria seemed to hide within host cells.

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