Isolation of a protozoan parasite genetically related to the insect trypanosomatid Herpetomonas samuelpessoai from a human immunodeficiency virus-positive patient

Abstract

Severely immunocompromised human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients can develop various opportunistic infections due to bacteria, viruses, fungi, or protozoa. Here we report the first isolation of a flagellated protozoan genetically closely related to Herpetomonas samuelpessoai, which is usually a parasite of insects, from the blood of an HIV-infected patient.