Adenovirus Infection

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Health

Concept :

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that 19 children have succumbed to acute respiratory infection (ARI) in West Bengal so far and six of them had contracted the adenovirus.

Adenoviruses

Adenoviruses are common viruses that cause a range of illnesses. They can cause cold-like symptoms, sore throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhoea and pink eye(conjunctivitis).
Adenoviruses (ADVs) are DNA viruses ranging from 70-90 nanometre in size, which induce many illnesses in humans like cold, respiratory infection etc.
Adenovirus vaccine :
Adenoviruses are preferred for vaccines because their DNA is double stranded which makes them genetically more stable and the chances of them changing after injection are lower.
Rabies vaccine is an adenovirus vaccine.
Adenovirus vaccines are a type of viral vector vaccine.
In this vaccine, adenovirus is used as a tool to deliver genes or vaccine antigens to the target host tissue.
However, there are drawbacks of adenovirus vector vaccines like pre-existing immunity in humans, inflammatory responses etc.
Just as human bodies develop immune responses to most real viral infections, they also develop immunity to adenoviral vectors. Since adenoviral vectors are based on natural viruses that some humans might already have been exposed to, these vaccines might not work for everyone.

How are Adenoviruses Transmitted?

Adenoviruses are usually spread from an infected person to others in the following ways.
Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
Air transmission through coughing and sneezing
Touching an object or surface with adenoviruses on it, then touching mouth, nose or eyes before washing hands.

How is adenovirus infection treated?

There is no specific treatment for people with adenovirus infection. Most adenovirus infections are mild. So these infections may require only to relieve symptoms, such as over-the-counter pain medicines or fever reducers.

Comorbidity

The simultaneous presence of more than one health disorder in a person is known as comorbidity.
These disorders may exist independent of each other, or may be interlinked due to the same underlying causes.
For example, a person with obesity often suffers from heart disease and/or diabetes.