Emergence of coinfection with visceral Leishmania infantum in COVID-19 patients: a case‒control field study in an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis in Iran.

Emergence of coinfection with visceral Leishmania infantum in COVID-19 patients: a case‒control field study in an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis in Iran.

Publication date: Dec 30, 2024

COVID-19 is a pandemic involving coinfection with other opportunistic microorganisms, including parasites such as Leishmania infantum. The present study aimed to determine the frequency of L. infantum infection and its role in disease and mortality among symptomatic COVID-19 patients in comparison with the non-COVID-19 control group in the endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Iran. A total of 250 blood samples from hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 231 blood samples from non-COVID-19 patients as a control group were collected in Mashkin Shahr city, Iran from October 2020 to May 2021, and anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies were detected via direct agglutination test (DAT). For confirmation of non-COVID-19 samples as the control group, anti-COVID-19 IgG antibodies were measured via indirect ELISA. Additionally, demographic data, clinical data, and disease outcomes were recorded. Overall, 46 (18. 4%) COVID-19 patients and 18 (7. 8%) non-COVID-19 patients had anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies at titers of 1:200 or higher according to the DAT (p value[Formula: see text] 0. 05). In the COVID-19 group, there was no statistically significant association between coinfection with L. infantum and sex, residency, treatment outcome, or symptoms. The results of this study revealed that the overall seroprevalence of L. infantum infection among patients with COVID-19 was 2. 66 times greater than that in the control group, which was statistically significant. It seems that L. infantum infection can be considered a risk factor for COVID-19, particularly in VL endemic areas. Not applicable.

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Concepts Keywords
Antibodies COVID-19
Iran Human
Pandemic Iran
Sex Leishmania infantum

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH coinfection
disease MESH COVID-19
disease MESH visceral leishmaniasis
disease MESH infection
disease IDO role
disease IDO blood
disease MESH Long Covid
pathway REACTOME Reproduction
disease MESH Infectious Diseases
drug DRUGBANK Coenzyme M
pathway REACTOME Immune System
disease MESH lymphadenopathy
disease MESH pancytopenia
disease MESH weight loss
disease MESH relapses
disease IDO immunodeficiency
disease IDO susceptibility
disease IDO production
disease IDO immune response
disease MESH parasitic infections
disease IDO history
disease IDO assay
drug DRUGBANK Indoleacetic acid
disease IDO parasite
drug DRUGBANK Formaldehyde
disease MESH asthma
pathway KEGG Asthma
disease MESH cardiovascular diseases
disease MESH Dyspnea
disease MESH Sore throat
disease MESH death
disease IDO country
drug DRUGBANK Trestolone
disease MESH coronavirus infection
disease MESH cytokine storm
disease MESH leishmaniasis
pathway KEGG Leishmaniasis
disease MESH fungal infections
disease IDO cell
disease MESH Chronic diseases
disease MESH morbidities
pathway REACTOME Leishmania infection
disease MESH lifestyles
disease IDO symptom
disease MESH Zoonoses
drug DRUGBANK Etoperidone
disease MESH malaria
pathway KEGG Malaria
disease MESH candidiasis
disease MESH AIDS
drug DRUGBANK Mannose
disease MESH strongyloidiasis
disease MESH RFLP
disease MESH Histoplasma capsulatum infection
disease MESH HIV coinfection
disease MESH Obesity
pathway REACTOME Metabolism
disease MESH neglected tropical diseases

Original Article

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