Journal Article

SARS-CoV-2/DENV co-infection: a series of cases from the Federal District, Midwestern Brazil

Espindola, Laila Salmen, da Mota, Licia Maria Henrique, Naves, Luciana Ansaneli, Gomes, Ciro Martins, de Siracusa, Clara Correia, Reis, Ana Paula Monteiro Gomides, de Albuquerque, Cleandro Pires, Lacerda, Marcus Vinicius Guimarães, Fernandes, Mariana Sirimarco, Cerqueira, Selma Regina Penha Silva, Sasaki, Lizandra Moura Paravidine, Brito-Sousa, José Diego, Lima, Valéria Paes, Rassi, Carlos Henrique Reis Esselin, de Gois, Eliana Teles, Schulte, Heidi Luise, Kurizky, Patricia Shu

2021

Overview

Background Since the novel coronavirus disease outbreak, over 179.7 million people have been infected by SARS-CoV-2 worldwide, including the population living in dengue-endemic regions, particularly Latin America and Southeast Asia, raising concern about the impact of possible co-infections. Methods Thirteen SARS-CoV-2/DENV co-infection cases reported in Midwestern Brazil between April and September of 2020 are described. Information was gathered from hospital medical records regarding the most relevant clinical and laboratory findings, diagnostic process, therapeutic interventions, together with clinician-assessed outcomes and follow-up. Results Of the 13 cases, seven patients presented Acute Undifferentiated Febrile Syndrome and six had pre-existing co-morbidities, such as diabetes, hypertension and hypopituitarism. Two patients were pregnant. The most common symptoms and clinical signs reported at first evaluation were myalgia, fever and dyspnea. In six cases, the initial diagnosis was dengue fever, which delayed the diagnosis of concomitant infections. The most frequently applied therapeutic interventions were antibiotics and analgesics. In total, four patients were hospitalized. None of them were transferred to the intensive care unit or died. Clinical improvement was verified in all patients after a maximum of 21 days. Conclusions The cases reported here highlight the challenges in differential diagnosis and the importance of considering concomitant infections, especially to improve clinical management and possible prevention measures. Failure to consider a SARS-CoV-2/DENV co-infection may impact both individual and community levels, especially in endemic areas.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Analgesics / Antibiotics / Case series / Co-infection / Comorbidity / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / Demographic aspects / Dengue / Dengue fever / DENV / Diabetes / Diabetes mellitus / Diagnosis / Differential diagnosis / Disease prevention / Dyspnea / Epidemics / Fever / Hospitals / Hypertension / Hypopituitarism / Infections / Infectious Diseases / Influenza / Internal Medicine / Laboratories / Medical Microbiology / Medical records / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Myalgia / Pandemics / Parasitology / Patients / Research Article / Respiration / Respiratory diseases / SARS-CoV-2 / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Signs and symptoms / Therapeutic applications / Tropical Medicine / Vector-borne diseases / Viral diseases