In an New Jersey adenovirus outbreak update, the number of adenovirus cases linked to an outbreak at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Haskell has risen to 30.

Image/CDC
Image/CDC

To date, a total of 29 pediatric adenovirus cases have been associated with this outbreak. In addition, a staff member at the facility — who has since recovered — also became ill as part of the outbreak. There have been 10 deaths associated with this outbreak.

To date, the individuals associated with the outbreak became ill between Sept. 26 and Nov. 5. The affected children had severely compromised immune systems — including respiratory problems — before the outbreak began.

Adenovirus virus  type 7 has been implicated in this outbreak.

At the Voorhees Pediatric Facility, laboratory tests have confirmed another case of adenovirus among pediatric patients as part of an ongoing outbreak investigation.

This brings the total adenovirus cases up to five.

While identification of the exact strain of this adenovirus case will not be available for several days, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) testing has identified that the adenovirus strain of the first four cases at Voorhees as type 3. This is a different strain from the one that caused a severe outbreak at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation.

Adenovirus is a respiratory virus which can cause mild or serious illness, though serious illness is less common. Symptoms may include common cold, sore throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhea, pink eye, fever, bladder inflammation or infection, inflammation of the stomach and intestines and neurological disease.

Adenovirus has an incubation period of 2-14 days, meaning that symptoms typically appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.