{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,8]],"date-time":"2026-02-08T04:16:18Z","timestamp":1770524178446,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":61,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,4]],"date-time":"2023-12-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1701648000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The biological history of Chlamydia trachomatis is intertwined with the evolution of the man. Infecting Elemental Bodies (EBs), having penetrated mucosal epithelial cells, wrap themselves in a cloak (\u0138\u03bb\u03b1\u03bc\u03b9\u03c2) of glycogen that ensures their obligatory intracellular survival and protects this differentiation into Reticulate Bodies (RBs) that feed on cellular ATP. Multiple chemokines and cytokines are involved under the direction of IL-6 in the florid phase and IL-17A in the scar phase. The WHO has successfully identified the SAFE strategy against trachoma (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleansing, Environment) as the blueprint to eliminate the disease by 2020. Recently, interest has been increasingly focused on changing sexual attitudes in different areas of the world, leaving Musca sorbens, Scatophaga stercoraria, and stepsisters fairly blameless, but extolling the role of Chlamydia trachomatis in apparently \u201csterile\u201d chronic prostatitis or conjunctivitis or, less frequently, in oropharyngitis and proctitis. The addition of an S (SAFE-S) standing for \u201csexual behavior\u201d was then proposed to also attract the interest and attention not only of Ophthalmologists and Obstetricians\/Gynecologists, Urologists\/Andrologists, and the School Authorities for information on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, but also of Social Physicians and Pediatricians. This means that sexually transmitted infections should be screened in asymptomatic patients with risky sexual behavior or sexual contact with people diagnosed with a transmitted infection.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens12121419","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,4]],"date-time":"2023-12-04T12:15:14Z","timestamp":1701692114000},"page":"1419","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Why the SAFE\u2014S Strategy for Trachoma? Are Musca sorbens or Scatophaga stercoraria Really the Culprit?\u2014A Brief Historical Review from an Italian Point of View"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7426-8603","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carla Enrica","family":"Gallenga","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Science, University of Ferrara, Eye Clinic University-Hospital, 44124 Ferrara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9938-8492","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martina","family":"Maritati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Science Infectious Diseases and Dermatology Section, University of Ferrara, 44124 Ferrara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marco","family":"Del Boccio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro Medico Santa Lucia, 66054 Vasto, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rossella","family":"D\u2019Aloisio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical, Oral, and Biotechnological Sciences, G. d\u2019Annunzio University Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9475-4924","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pio","family":"Conti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Tufts University Medical School, Boston, MA 02111, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marco","family":"Mura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Traslational Medicine and for Romagna, Section Ophthalmology, University of Ferrara, 44124 Ferrara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8809-6470","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlo","family":"Contini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Science Infectious Diseases and Dermatology Section, University of Ferrara, 44124 Ferrara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Pier Enrico","family":"Gallenga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Stenella cno Ophthalmology Laboratory, 65100 Pescara, Italy"},{"name":"Bioethical Committee of San Marino Republic, 47893 Borgo Maggiore, San Marino"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Oriel, J.D., and Ridgway, G.L. 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