Pneumonia Caused by Chlamydia psittaci and SARS-CoV-2 Coinfection Diagnosed Using Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing: A Case Report

Abstract

We report a case of pneumonia caused by coinfection with Chlamydia psittaci and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron XBB.1 variant, confirmed using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). C. psittaci and SARS-CoV-2 were detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid using mNGS. Additionally, mNGS detected C. psittaci in blood and nasopharyngeal specimens and was more sensitive than qPCR. The patient recovered after treatment with moxifloxacin. This report highlights the use of coinfections of C. psittaci and SARS-CoV-2, as mNGS has already been recognized to be a diagnostic tool for identifying coinfections.

Keywords:

• coinfection
• quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction
• bronchoalveolar lavage fluid
• zoonoses

Data Sharing Statement

All relevant data are provided within the manuscript. All information in the article has been anonymized.

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent

The Ethics Committees of Zhongshan People’s Hospital (K2021-137) approved this study. Informed consents were obtained from the patient. Zhongshan People’s Hospital granted approval to publish the case details.

Consent for Publication

The patient has provided informed consent for the publication of her case details and the associated images.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Science and Technology Plan Project of Zhongshan under grant number 2020B1113.