Adenovirus infection may sound scary at first until you realize it is a relatively harmless virus usually affecting the upper airways during winter and spring. While some strains of adenovirus may cause gastroenteritis, the vast majority of them affect the mucosa of the airways.
Adenovirus infections are usually self-limited to a few days, and complications are not common. However, there have been recent reports of a very aggressive adenovirus strain that does not conform to the usual manifestations of the disease, turning itself into a severe infection with lethal outcomes.
Enter Adenovirus Type 7
Adenovirus type 7 is a variant of the virus that tends to be more aggressive than the rest, especially in people with weak or compromised immune systems.
It is not a new virus, as there are reports in scientific literature about adenovirus type 7 dating back from the 1970s. However, it has been recently featured in the news as a cause of severe respiratory infections and even death.
Adenovirus is an airborne infection that’s easily transmitted through small particles of mucus or saliva spread into the air after a sneeze or cough. Touching and having close contact with infected individuals or touching a contaminated surface would also transmit the virus if you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth afterward.
Again, this contact would usually result in a bout of sickness for two or three days, but with adenovirus 7, the risk of medical harm and even death is much greater.
Historically, adenovirus type 7 appears in military recruit camps, rehabilitation and residential facilities, and any other closed space that favors transmission. Instead of a self-limited cold, adenovirus type 7 commonly causes pneumonia, bronchiolitis, pharyngoconjunctival fever, and acute respiratory disease syndrome.
All of these are potentially life-threatening conditions, especially for the immunocompromised.
18-Year-Old College Student Succumbs to Infection
In November of 2018, an 18-year-old student from the University of Maryland died from an adenovirus infection that started out as a common cold, progressed into pneumonia, and had her visit the emergency room several times as her condition progressively worsened.
At the time, the student was taking medication designed to help prevent a flare-up of her Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune condition often treated by immune suppressant therapy.
The immune modulation caused by this drug was enough for the virus to cause lethal complications. The information about the adenovirus outbreak in the university campus came too late for the doctors to take appropriate measures, and her father clearly stated to the Baltimore Sun, “If they would have known a week earlier, I think there would be a different result.”
7 Children Have Died from Adenovirus Type 7
In October of 2018, 7 children in the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in New Jersey died from an outbreak of this virus due to a combination of poor hygiene practices and compromised immunity in a communal living space.
The NJ Department of Health announcement indicated that, “The team on Sunday found minor handwashing deficiencies and the Health Department is continuing to work closely with the facility on infection control issues.”
Again: Compromised immunity, less-than-stellar hygiene practices, and communal living space seem to be the trifecta that leads to death from a virus that usually causes only minor illness.
Immunocompromised – Protecting Those Most Vulnerable
Information is the key to prevention of most diseases, and this includes adenovirus type 7. In the event of an outbreak, appropriate measures to disinfect and clean exposed surfaces, wash hands, and avoid direct contact with others will help reduce the risk of infection.
Individuals living with an autoimmune disease such as Crohn’s often take medication that prevents their immune systems from attacking their own healthy organs. The drawback of these types of medications is that they stop the immune system from being able to attack anything, including foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses.
It is crucial that anyone living with compromised immunity, especially in a close-quarter setting such as a college, take extra precautions to avoid becoming ill. This means more careful attention to hygiene, wearing a mask during cold and flu season, and alerting medical staff, roommates, and friends of the autoimmune condition to increase awareness and reduce potential risk.
Those taking medications to suppress their immune system should also speak with their doctor about reducing or even stopping these medications temporarily during a viral outbreak to prevent accidental death.
