Multiple Opportunistic Infections as the Initial Presentation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in an Ecuadorian Immigrant
Advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) continues to occur in those with social, educational, and cultural barriers to accessing healthcare. A 27-year-old Ecuadorian man presented with vomiting, epigastric pain, fever, weakness, and weight loss. He had advanced AIDS, with opportunistic infections including disseminated histoplasmosis, cerebral toxoplasmosis, and JC virus brain infection. Despite prior repeated contact with local, US-based healthcare, sexual history and HIV screening were never performed. Missed opportunities to identify HIV infection led to potentially preventable opportunistic infections, despite our current era of widely available, effective antiretroviral therapy.
Authors
- Anita Hüttner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2143-4329)
- Jessica Magid-Bernstein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6506-6017)
- Joseph Michael Vinetz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8344-2004)
- Trevan Klug
- Uma Alappan
Institutions
- Yale New Haven Hospital (US)
- Yale University (US)
- Yale New Haven Health System (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cureus
- Published
- 2026-04-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.106368
- Primary Topic
- Viral-associated cancers and disorders
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00