Spain without the S: Man has tests positive to Covid, HIV and Monkeypox all at once
<p>A 36-year-old Italian man has simultaneously tested positive to COVID, HIV and monkeypox making this a world first event.</p>
<p>The triple co-infection was recorded after the man holidayed for a week in Spain. Nine days following his trip, he developed a fever, rash and as subsequent testing went on it was evident he was in for a wild ride.</p>
<p>The man spent five days in Spain from June 16-20 and enjoyed his holiday to the fullest, seemingly engaging in unprotected sex with other men during that time.</p>
<p>Upon returning to Italy, he developed a 39C fever, sore throat, fatigue and headache. The party-goer tested positive to COVID on July 2, and the same afternoon began to develop a rash on his left arm.</p>
<p>On July 3 small, painful blisters appeared on his torso, lower limbs, face and other parts of the body.</p>
<p>“On physical examination his body was dotted, including the palm of the right hand and the perianal region, with skin lesions in various stages of progression,” the report said.</p>
<p>The blisters spread all over the body until July 5, evolving into umbilicated pustules, before he was moved to the emergency department and then to the Infectious Diseases unit at a hospital in Catania.</p>
<p>This was when he tested positive to monkeypox.</p>
<p>“Complete STI screening is recommended after a diagnosis of monkeypox,” the report said.</p>
<p>The STI screening found he also tested positive for HIV, given this diagnosis was not the patient's first brush with an STI. Previous reports noted: “On admission, the patient reported being treated for syphilis in 2019.”</p>
<p>“This case highlights how monkeypox and COVID symptoms may overlap, and corroborates how in case of co-infection, anamnestic collection and sexual habits are crucial to perform the correct diagnosis,” the report said.</p>
<p>“As this is the only reported case of monkeypox virus, SARS-CoV-2 and HIV co-infection, there is still not enough evidence supporting that this combination may aggravate patient’s condition.”</p>
<p>The patient was treated and discharged to home isolation on July 11 as his symptoms resolved. He returned for a checkup on July 19, still testing positive with monkeypox but with the lesions having slowly improved, he is now to begin HIV treatment.</p>
<p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>
