Outbreak of acute respiratory infection among infants in Lisbon, Portugal, caused by human adenovirus serotype 3 and a new 7/3 recombinant strain.
Human adenoviruses (AdVs) typically cause mild illnesses in otherwise healthy hosts. We investigated a pediatric outbreak of acute respiratory infection with fatal outcomes that occurred in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2004. Biological specimens were collected from 83 children attending two nurseries, a kinesiotherapy clinic, and the household of a nanny. Adenovirus infection was confirmed in 48 children by PCR and virus isolation. Most (96%) isolates were classified as being of subspecies B1. Phylogenetic analysis of fiber and hexon gene sequences revealed that most infants were infected with AdV serotype 3 (AdV3) strains. Infants attending one nursery harbored a new recombinant strain containing an AdV serotype 7 hexon and serotype 3 fiber (AdV7/3). Both the AdV3 and the AdV7/3 strains caused fatal infections. Two different serotype 3 strains were circulating in Lisbon in 2004, and the new AdV7/3 recombinant type originated from only one of those strains. These results demonstrate that recombination leads to the emergence of new adenovirus strains with epidemic and lethal potential.
Instituto Nacional de Saúde IP, Lisbon, Portugal.
Helena
H
Rebelo-de-Andrade
Cristiana
C
Pereira
Marta
M
Gíria
Ema
E
Prudêncio
Maria João
MJ
Brito
Etelvina
E
Calé
Nuno
N
Taveira
D000257:Adenoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D000260:Adenoviruses, Human / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D036022:Capsid Proteins; D004279:DNA, Viral; C018315:hexon capsid protein, Adenovirus