Adenoviruses commonly cause cold or flu-like symptoms in humans.
Infections tend to be mild and adenoviruses usually don’t require treatment.
Adenoviruses can be transmitted from person to person year-round, in people of all ages.
visualspace / Getty Images
In rare cases, they can lead tobronchitisor evenpneumonia.
How Adenoviruses Spread
An adenovirus is a very small infectious agent.
It can only multiply within the live cells of a host.
Adenoviruses are very resilient.
They can live for long periods of time outside of the host.
Adenoviruses spread from one infected person to another.
In children under age 5, adenovirus infections most commonly affect the digestive tract.
By age 10, most children have had one or more infections sparked by an adenovirus.
Adenovirus Symptoms
Adenoviruses can cause various illnesses with a wide range of symptoms.
Rare Symptoms
Less common symptoms of adenovirus infections could include bladder infections or nervous system infections.
The swab is sent to the lab for testing.
The swab is rotated several times.
This involves coughing up some mucus for lab evaluation.
A blood specimen could also be ordered to diagnose adenoviruses under some circumstances.
This is done by using a wood-tipped applicator with a topical numbing agent and normal saline for moisturization.
Specimens for diagnosis of adenoviruses should be collected within seven days of the onset of symptoms.
Adenovirus can’t be treated with antibiotics since it is a virus and not a bacteria.
Most cases of adenovirus go away within a few days to a couple of weeks.
These interventions depend on your childs age, symptoms, and general health.
The most common illnesses caused include respiratory illness and viral conjunctivitis.
Adenovirus can cause respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, or eye-related symptoms.
There is no specific treatment for adenovirus.
Most cases resolve without medical intervention, but sometimes more serious infections such as pneumonia can develop.
2021;42(6):800-821. doi:10.1055/s-0041-1733802
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adenovirus: Guidelines for outbreaks.
Borkenhagen LK, Fieldhouse JK, Seto D, Gray GC.Are adenoviruses zoonotic?
A systematic review of the evidence.Emerg Microbes Infect.
2019;8(1):1679-1687. doi:10.1080/22221751.2019.1690953
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About adenovirus.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC).
Shieh WJ.Human adenovirus infections in pediatric population - An update on clinico-pathologic correlation.Biomed J.
2019;205:130-137. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.09.036
American Academy of Pediatrics.Adenovirus infections.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Laboratory testing for adenovirus.
2019;199(7):P13-P14.
