Doctors have reported the first known case of a man testing positive for monkeypox, COVID-19, and HIV at the same time. Earlier this year, a 36-year-old Italian male began to develop a series of symptoms that included fatigue, fever, and a sore throat. After rashes and blisters appeared on his body, health officials conducted tests and he tested positive for monkeypox, COVID-19, and HIV.
The man admitted to having unprotected sex with men
Reports claim that the 36-year-old had returned from a trip to Spain and developed symptoms nine days later. The man, who has not been identified, spent five days in Spain from 16 to 20 June 2022. He admitted that during this period he had unprotected sex with men.
Researchers investigating the case revealed in the Journal of Infection that “monkeypox and COVID-19 symptoms may overlap” and that “sexual intercourse could be the predominant way of transmission”. He also suffered from bipolar disorder.
The patient was also screened for multiple STIs
The man was also screened for multiple STIs. He tested positive for HIV-1, and the researchers said that ‘given his preserved CD4 count, we could assume that the infection was relatively recent.’ The man had taken an HIV test in September 2021 and returned a negative result.
‘This case highlights how monkeypox and COVID-19 symptoms may overlap. Medical tests showed the monkeypox virus belonged to the West African clade which researchers said was responsible for the outbreak in Spain. The man tested negative for viral hepatitis, herpes simplex, and gonorrhea.
Furthermore, the researchers urged health authorities to be alert in promoting diagnostic tests in high-risk patients. As there is no widely available treatment for the diseases.