Outbreak of fatal adenoviral type 7a respiratory disease in a children's long-term care inpatient facility

Adenoviruses are a common cause of respiratory diseases. Types 7,3, and 21 may cause a particularly serious and even fatal illness, especially in children. Outbreaks of adenovirus infection have been documented in military training populations, in a family setting, and as a nosocomial infection in a children’s home,’ pediatric wards,” 3 and a surgical intensive care unit.4 We report an adenovirus 7a outbreak in a pediatric long-term care inpatient facility. Four patients with symptoms, three patients without symptoms, and two personnel with symptoms were found to be infected with adenovirus type 7a. A high susceptibility to infection with adenovirus and a high mortality rate were documented in this population of chronically sick infants.