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Published on: September 7, 2017
Flurona: The First Autopsied Case
Ionuț Isaia Jeican1, Dan Gheban2,3, Alexandra Mariș4
1Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Insights
Flurona, a coinfection of influenza and SARS-CoV-2, can be fatal, especially in infants. This case highlights the severe lung inflammation and multi-organ failure caused by this dual viral respiratory infection.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Respiratory Virology
- Immunopathology
Background:
- Coinfections with COVID-19 increase disease severity and mortality.
- The term "flurona" describes coinfection with influenza and SARS-CoV-2.
- Dual respiratory viral infections pose significant clinical challenges.
Observation:
- A fatal case of flurona in a 7-month-old infant is reported.
- Histopathology revealed significant lung inflammation, diffuse alveolar damage, and vasculitis.
- Immune cell infiltration, including CD45+, CD20+, and CD3+ cells, was observed in lung tissues.
Findings:
- Flurona coinfection led to extensive lung inflammation and respiratory failure.
- The combined viral aggression resulted in multiple organ failure and death.
- Histopathological analysis confirmed tissue damage from both influenza and SARS-CoV-2, without dominance of one virus.
Implications:
- This case underscores the critical risk associated with flurona coinfection in vulnerable populations.
- Understanding the immunopathology of dual infections is crucial for developing effective treatments.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the synergistic effects of coinfecting respiratory viruses.
Abstract:
COVID-19-associated coinfections increase the patient's risk of developing a severe form of the disease and, consequently, the risk of death. The term "flurona" was proposed to describe the coinfection of the influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2. This report is about a case of a 7-month-old female infant who died due to flurona coinfection. A histopathological exam showed activation of microglia (becoming CD45 positive), bronchial inflammation, diffuse alveolar damage in proliferative phase with vasculitis, a peribronchial infiltrate that was predominantly CD20-positive, and a vascular wall infiltrate that was predominantly CD3-positive. The aggressiveness of the two respiratory viruses added up and they caused extensive lung inflammation, which led to respiratory failure, multiple organ failure, and death. Tissues injuries caused by both the influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 could be observed, without the ability to certify the dominance of the aggression of one of the two viruses.
