coinfection

noun

co·​in·​fec·​tion kō-in-ˈfek-shən 

variants or co-infection

plural coinfections or co-infections

: concurrent infection of a cell or organism with two or more pathogenic agents

coinfection with influenza A and SARS-CoV-2

coinfect

kō-in-ˈfekt 

transitive verb

or co-infect

coinfected or co-infected; coinfecting or co-infecting; coinfects or co-infects

Some experts suspect that superspreaders might have a more virulent strain of coronavirus or be co-infected with other microbes.

—Aparisim Ghosh

Examples of coinfection in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Although gonorrhea can also cause PID, very often there is a coinfection with chlamydia, ranging from 10% to 40% in some National Institutes of Health studies. —Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025

Scientists are still investigating the connection between coinfections of B. microti and B. burgdorferi. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025

Clarithromycin, an antibacterial drug, has no effect on viruses like measles but can be used by doctors to treat coinfections from some bacterial pneumonias that sometimes develop in infected children, Campbell said. —Alexander Tin, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025

Farmworkers are encouraged to consult health care providers about seasonal flu vaccinations, which may help reduce the risk of coinfection with other influenza strains. —Justin Gest, Newsweek, 10 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for coinfection

• circumspection
• disaffection
• disconnection
• disinfection
• dorsiflexion
• imperfection
• indirection
• insurrection
• intellection
• interjection
• intersection
• introjection

Medical Definition

coinfection

noun

co·​in·​fec·​tion

variants or co-infection

ˌkō-in-ˈfek-shən 

: concurrent infection of a cell or organism with two or more pathogenic agents

pneumonia caused by coinfection with an orthomyxovirus and a streptococcus

coinfect transitive verb

or co-infect

-ˈfekt