Double infection
A double infection or co-infection is the infection of an organism with two pathogens at the same time. If both pathogens are transmitted at the same time, one also speaks of simultaneous infection . If the double infection arises from an additional infection of a second pathogen in addition to an existing infection, this is called a superinfection .
While in some of the cases both disease processes run independently of one another, certain double infections can be of particular importance.
Examples from human medicine
- Hepatitis D and hepatitis B : The hepatitis D virus can only form infectious particles if it is simultaneously infected with the hepatitis B virus .
- Hepatitis C and hepatitis B : Simultaneous infection with both viruses leads to cirrhosis of the liver more often than infection with hepatitis C alone.
- Hepatitis C and HIV : Infection with both viruses at the same time leads to liver cirrhosis more often than infection with hepatitis C.
- Human herpesvirus 8 and HIV : Due to the low number of T cells in the AIDS stage, HHV-8 can trigger Kaposi's sarcoma .
- Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae : Both pathogens use the same path of infection, they are sexually transmitted diseases . Both pathogens are sensitive to the same antibiotics .
- If an organism is infected by two variants of the influenza virus at the same time , the RNA between the influenza viruses can be rearranged ( genetic reassortment ). The larger changes caused in this way, known as antigen shift , can then be the origin of a pandemic .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Information from the Robert Koch Institute on hepatitis C (PDF 176 kB); accessed on April 7, 2018.
