Researchers Find New Adenovirus Strains
In the first large-scale research to identify adenovirus strains in Singapore, researchers led by Duke-NUS Medical School have discovered four new strains and found an increase in 2 strains linked to severe diseases.
Human adenovirus infections in Singapore and Malaysia have caused severe respiratory infections among children and adults in recent years.
Adenoviruses are a family of viruses with over fifty known strains that can infect people of all ages. The common cold, fever, and sore throat are among the symptoms brought about by different types of adenovirus strains. In a few cases, adenoviruses can cause severe respiratory symptoms, including pneumonia, or more life-threatening conditions, like organ failure, in patients with weakened immune systems.
Researchers Find New Adenovirus Strains- The Study
Researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School tested more than 500 clinical samples from pediatric and adult patients from two large public hospitals in Singapore. The researchers used a genotyping algorithm to study human adenovirus (HAdV) infections among patients.
Kristen Coleman, Ph.D., from the Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme at Duke-NUS Medical School, said that they detected four new HAdV strains closely related to a strain isolated from an infant in Beijing during an epidemic in 2012–2013. Dr
. Coleman is the study’s lead author. He highlighted that the results also highlight an increase in HAdV types 4 and 7 among the pediatric population over time.He added that patients with weakened immune systems and those with HAdV types 2, 4, or 7 were more likely to experience severe disease.
Dr. Gregory Gray, a professor in the EID Programme at Duke-NUS and a member of the Duke Global Health Institute, said that the high prevalence and severity of HAdV type 4 infections identified in the study were intriguing.
Researchers Find New Adenovirus Strains- What’s Next?
Given the study findings, the scientists suggest public health officials and clinicians in Singapore to consider using antiviral therapies and adenovirus vaccines. Researchers also recommend Singapore and other countries considering the new Adeno Virus, to ensure control measures and conduct periodic and routine adenoviral genotype surveillance to collect the data needed to make informed decisions.
Human Adeno Virus was first discovered in the 1950s. HAdV type 4 was primarily considered restricted to and controlled by the vaccine in the United States military population, with rare detections among civilians.
