Man tests positive for monkeypox, COVID and HIV at the same time

Researchers in Italy have reported the first known case of monkeypox, the first known case of someone testing positive for COVID-19 and HIV at the same time. All three infections were new and followed a short trip to Spain.

The patient, a 36-year-old Italian man, developed fever, sore throat, fatigue, headache and swelling in the groin area approximately 9 days after returning from a 5-day trip to Spain, during which he had sex without a condom. .

According to a case report published in the Journal of Infection, the person tested positive for coronavirus 3 days after symptoms appeared. The man was also diagnosed with COVID-19 in January, just weeks after he was vaccinated.

Within hours of testing positive for the coronavirus, a rash appeared on his left arm, and blisters spread throughout his body over the course of the next few days, forcing him to go to the emergency room at a hospital in Catania, a city on the east coast of Sicily. inspired to leave.

A series of tests conducted at the hospital came back positive for monkeypox, COVID-19 and HIV. The HIV test showed a high viral load (234,000 copies/mL) and his preserved CD4 count with a negative test less than a year earlier, indicating he was recently infected.

The patient was released from the hospital after about a week and recovered from COVID-19 and monkeypox, although a small scar remained.

Researchers from the University of Catania said, “This case sheds light on how the symptoms of monkeypox and COVID-19 may overlap, and confirms that in the case of co-infection, anamnestic collection and How sexual habits are important to making an accurate diagnosis.” Case Report.

“Of note, the monkeypox oropharyngeal swab was still positive after 20 days, suggesting that these individuals may still be contagious for several days after clinical remission,” the report said. Is. “As a result, physicians should encourage appropriate precautions.”

The researchers said: “Since this is the only reported case of monkeypox virus, SARS-CoV-2 and HIV co-infection, there is still insufficient evidence to support that this combination may aggravate the patient’s condition.” Given the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the daily increase in monkeypox cases, healthcare systems need to be aware of this phenomenon.”