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As of October 2020, there is still no specific drug to treat COVID-19 as it rages worldwide. Favipiravir, indicated for the treatment of new and re-emerging influenza infections, has been suggested to be effective against SARS-CoV-2, although this is not yet fully validated. We administered favipiravir to a 64-year-old female patient with COVID-19. Her symptoms resolved quickly after the start of treatment, with reduction of SARS-CoV-2 viral load, but she developed a fever again on day 12. Since the fever was relieved by discontinuation of favipiravir, and based on positive results with a drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test, we diagnosed her with favipiravir-induced drug fever. A decrease in the serum concentration of favipiravir was observed along with resolution of the fever. The present case suggests that drug fever should be considered in the differential diagnosis of relapsing fever episodes in COVID-19 patients receiving favipiravir.

Nocardia farcinica usually infects the respiratory tract and can sometimes cause central nervous system infections; however, it rarely infects the prostate. Here we report the first case of N. farcinica detected in the purulence specimen drained from a prostate abscess. A 70-year-old Japanese male receiving steroid and cyclosporine treatment came to our department with chief complaint of turbid urine. Computed tomography revealed a low-density lesion in his prostate. Antibiotic administration and prostatic drainage were effective. N. farcinica was detected in the cultures of urine and prostatic drainage purulence specimens. Nocardiosis should be included in the differential diagnosis in immunosuppressive patients with prostate abscess. Keywords: Nocardia farcinica, Prostate abscess, Immunocompromised host