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Form of adenovirus is circulating in some states

Infection Control Monitor, December 14, 2007

A virus that starts like a cold but has the capability of causing severe respiratory illness in people of all ages has been reported in four states.

A report in the November 16 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report noted an unusual number of recent cases of severe pneumonia and deaths caused by adenovirus serotype 14, or Ad14. The virus has infected at least 1,035 Americans in four states so far this year, reported the Washington Post. Dozens have been hospitalized, many requiring intensive care, and at least 10 patients have died, the newspaper reported. Outbreaks have been reported in Texas, Washington state, and South Carolina, along with a single case in an infant in New York City.

The virus typically starts with a cough and high fever but within a day or so, can leave some patients gasping for air. The CDC concluded that "Ad14 is a rarely reported but emerging serotype of adenovirus that can cause severe and sometimes fatal respiratory disease in people of all ages, including healthy young adults. However, Ad 14 infections are uncommon. Most infections from Ad14 are not serious, and severe or fatal outcomes from Ad14 are rare. Thus, the public should not be concerned about the emergence of Ad14."

To read the CDC report, click here. For a CDC fact sheet on AD14, click here.

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