Outbreak of Pneumonia Associated with Emergent Human Adenovirus Serotype 14—Southeast Alaska, 2008

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 202; no. 2; pp. 214 - 222
• Main Authors: Esposito, Douglas H., Gardner, Tracie J., Schneider, Eileen, Stockman, Lauren J., Tate, Jacqueline E., Panozzo, Catherine A., Robbins, Cheryl L., Jenkerson, Sue A., Thomas, Lorita, Watson, Colleen M., Curns, Aaron T., Erdman, Dean D., Lu, Xiaoyan, Cromeans, Theresa, Westcott, Mary, Humphries, Catherine, Ballantyne, Jayme, Fischer, Gayle E., McLaughlin, Joseph B., Armstrong, Gregory, Anderson, Larry J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford The University of Chicago Press 15-07-2010; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adenoviridae - classification; Adenoviridae - genetics; Adenoviridae - physiology; Adenoviridae Infections - blood; Adenoviridae Infections - epidemiology; Adenoviridae Infections - immunology; Adenoviruses; Alaska - epidemiology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Chaperonin 60 - blood; Disease Outbreaks; Diseases; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gamma Rays; Genotype; Heat-Shock Proteins - biosynthesis; Heat-Shock Proteins - blood; Hepatitis B Core Antigens - radiation effects; Hepatitis B, Chronic - blood; Hepatitis B, Chronic - genetics; Human adenoviruses; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - immunology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - physiology; Lymphocytes - immunology; Male; Mammals; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Military recruitment; Miscellaneous; Pneumonia; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Predisposing factors; Respiratory diseases; Serotyping; Specimens; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - physiology; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - virology; Virology; Virus Replication; VIRUSES; Alaska; United States; North America; America; Virus; Infection; Lung disease; Pneumonia; Adenoviridae; Respiratory disease; Human adenovirus; Mastadenovirus; Serotype
• DOI: 10.1086/653498
• EISSN: 1537-6613
• ISSN: 0022-1899

Background. In September 2008, an outbreak of pneumonia associated with an emerging human adenovirus (human adenovirus serotype 14 [HAdV-14]) occurred on a rural Southeast Alaska island. Nine patients required hospitalization, and 1 patient died. Methods. To investigate the outbreak, pneumonia case patients were matched to control participants on the basis of age, sex, and community of residence. Participants in the investigation and their household contacts were interviewed, and serum samples and respiratory tract specimens were collected. Risk factors were evaluated by means of conditional logistic regression. Results. Among 32 pneumonia case patients, 21 (65%) had confirmed or probable HAdV-14 infection. None of 32 matched control participants had evidence of HAdV-14 infection (P < .001 for the difference). Factors independently associated with pneumonia included contact with a known HAdV-14–infected case patient (odds ratio [OR], 18.3 [95% confidence interval {CI}, ≥2.0]), current smoking (OR, 6.7 [95% CI, ≥0.9]), and having neither traveled off the island nor attended a large public gathering (OR, 14.7 [95% CI, ≥2.0]). Fourteen (67%) of 21 HAdV-14–positive case patients belonged to a single network of people who socialized and often smoked together and infrequently traveled off the island. HAdV-14 infection occurred in 43% of case-patient household contacts, compared with 5% of control-participant household contacts (P = .005) Conclusions. During a community outbreak in Alaska, HAdV-14 appeared to have spread mostly among close contacts and not widely in the community. Demographic characteristics and illness patterns among the case patients were similar to those observed in other recent outbreaks of HAdV-14 infection in the United States.