Based on an analysis of an outbreak in Alaska, U.S. researchers advise that adenovirus 14 (Ad14) should "be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients with community-acquired pneumonia, particularly when unexplained clusters of severe respiratory infections are detected."
Prior to 2003, outbreaks of Ad14 respiratory infections in the United States typically occurred among military recruits, the researchers noted. But there have been increasing numbers of outbreaks of severe and sometimes fatal Ad14 infection among civilians.
The new study looked at an outbreak of community-acquired Ad14 in a remote community on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. Those most likely to become infected included Alaska Natives (61 percent), males (70 percent), and people with underling pulmonary disease (44 percent). Patients over age 65 were five times more likely to be hospitalized than younger patients.
The study appears in Friday's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.