A 36-year-old Italian man who recently visited Spain is the world’s first confirmed case to be diagnosed with Monkeypox, HIV, and COVID-19 simultaneously.
What Happened
The Italian man, who has remained unidentified, is currently undergoing HIV treatment and has recovered from the COVID-19 and monkeypox infections.
The incident was published in the Journal of Infection on August 19 and indicated the patient developed a fever, sore throat, and fatigue after he returned from a trip to Spain earlier in the summer. He reportedly had unprotected sexual intercourse, which is a key transmission risk for HIV.
The Timeline
The patient spent five days in Spain from June 16 to 20, 2022. He developed a fever, sore throat, fatigue, headache, and enlarged lymph nodes within nine days.
In the case report, infectious disease doctors in Italy described how the man first became sick with a fever, sore throat, and headache on June 29, nine days after returning from a 5-day trip to Spain. On July 2, he tested positive for COVID-19 and noticed a rash on his left arm later that afternoon.
The reports state that the patient received a positive COVID test on July 2. The next day a rash and lesions were found on his torso, face, glutes, and lower limbs.
According to the journal researchers, “He was vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 with two doses of Pfizer’s BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (the last in December 2021) and had already contracted COVID-19 in January 2022.” Also stating, “Monkeypox virus and SARS-CoV-2 infections can occur simultaneously. Flu-like symptoms and SARS-CoV-2 positivity should not exclude monkeypox in high-risk individuals.”
Making History
This rare event marks the very first time these three diseases were diagnosed in one patient at the same time.
The Journal of Infection recommends that healthcare systems be aware of this case to help containment.
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