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.
Rebelo-de-Andrade
Helena
H
Instituto Nacional de Saúde IP, Lisbon, Portugal.
Pereira
Cristiana
C
Gíria
Marta
M
Prudêncio
Ema
E
Brito
Maria João
MJ
Calé
Etelvina
E
Taveira
Nuno
N
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