An Italian man who returned from a holiday in Spain has tested positive for Covid-19, monkeypox and HIV on the same day.
Scientists said the 36-year-old is the first known case of a person testing positive for the three viruses all at once.
International correspondent Adam Gilchrist told Cape Talk that the man started experiencing a series of symptoms after he returned home in Sicily, Italy, from the trip in Madrid.
According to a report by the Journal of Infection, the man spent five days in Spain from 16 to 20 June 2022.
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Man tested positive for the three viruses
After nine days, he started experiencing fever, a sore throat, fatigue, headache and lymph node enlargement. Later in the afternoon, he started developing a rash on his left arm that began to swell.
He then sought medical treatment at the emergency department of the Policlinico “G. Rodolico – San Marco” University Hospital in Catania, Italy.
They ran tests and he tested positive for the three viruses.
The man had unprotected sex with men while in Spain.
Monkeypox is infected through close contact, scientists have not confirmed if it is sexually transmitted.
The 36-year-old last tested negative for HIV in September 2021. He tested positive for HIV-1, which showed the scientists that the infection was recent.
He was discharged from the hospital on July 6, after recovering from monkeypox and Covid-19. He is receiving treatment for HIV.
“This case highlights how monkeypox and Covid-19 symptoms may overlap, and corroborates how in case of co-infection, anamnestic collection and sexual habits are crucial to perform the correct diagnosis,” read the Journal of Infections report.
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