National Surveillance for Emerging Adenovirus Infections (NIH/NIAID R01 AI053034)

First recognized as acute respiratory disease in World War II military recruits, adenoviruses are now recognized to be of worldwide medical importance.

Adenoviruses affect people of every age and health status. Some people infected never have symptoms. Others may suffer from a wide range of illnesses including common cold, eye infection, rash, bronchitis, pneumonia, gastritis, and even encephalitis. Adenovial infections are spread easily from person-to-person, and have resulted in widespread outbreaks among groups of military personnel and children. People with compromised immune systems are especially susceptible to severe complications of adenovirus infection.

There are at least 51 unique serotypes of human adenoviruses and in some cases numerous different genotypes among a single serotype. Although certain strains of adenovirus have more often been associated with more severe illness, an understanding of the current epidemiology of adenovirus in the United States is lacking.

The National Surveillance for Emerging Adenoviral Infections research project has four aims:

Aim 1: To investigate the current distribution of clinical adenoviral serotypes among four populations: children <7 years of age; allogeneic stem cell or solid organ transplant patients; military trainees; and other patients.

Aim 2: To investigate the current adenoviral serotypes associated with severe clinical disease (adenoviral illness resulting in hospitalization or death) among four populations: children <7 years of age; allogeneic stem cell or solid organ transplant patients, military trainees; and other patients.

Aim 3: Through a medical record review of pediatric and transplant patients with adenovirus isolates, to identify environment, host, and pathogen risk factors associated with severe adenoviral disease (hospitalization or death).

Aim 4: Using a random-number process and matching upon a selection of risk factors identified in aim 3, create a panel of 50 isolates associated with severe clinical disease and 50 other non-severe disease causing adenoviral isolates. By gene sequence studies of these 100 isolates, evaluate specific genes for possible predictors of more severe adenoviral morbidity.

The study involves surveillance and testing for clinical adenovirus isolates via a network of viral laboratories throughout the United States.