Molecular epidemiology of a post-influenza pandemic outbreak of acute respiratory infections in Korea caused by human adenovirus type 3

Abstract

An outbreak of upper respiratory tract infections associated with human adenovirus (HAdV) occurred on a national scale in Korea from September to December 2010, following a major H1N1 influenza pandemic. Data from the Korea Influenza and Respiratory Surveillance System (KINRESS) showed an unusually high positive rate accounting for up to 20% of all diagnosed cases. To determine the principal cause of the outbreak, direct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification followed by sequence analysis targeting parts of the hexon gene of HAdV was performed. Serotypes of 1,007 PCR-diagnosed HAdV-positive samples from patients with an acute upper respiratory tract illness were determined and epidemiological characteristics including major aged group and clinical symptoms were analyzed. The principal symptom of HAdV infections was fever and the vulnerable aged group was 1-5 years old. Based on sequence analysis, HAdV-3 was the predominant serotype in the outbreak, with an incidence of 74.3%. From the beginning of 2010 until May, the major serotypes were HAdV-1, 2, and 5 (70-100%) in any given period. However, an outbreak dominated by HAdV-3 started between July and August and peaked in September. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that there was no genetic variation in HAdV-3. The results demonstrated that an outbreak of upper respiratory illness followed by H1N1 influenza pandemic in Korea was caused mainly by emerged HAdV-3. J.

Molecular Epidemiology and Phylogenetic Analysis of Human Adenovirus Caused an Outbreak in Taiwan during 2011

“…PCR and sequence of partial hexon gene showed the HAdV-3 and HAdV-7 were predominant and constituted this outbreak. The HAdV-3 and HAdV-7 also caused an outbreak in nearby countries China and Korea [ 38 , 39 ]. The mean age of the patients of this outbreak was 5.12 ± 4.08 years.…”

Species differences in circulation and inflammatory responses in children with common respiratory adenovirus infections

“…Although HAdVs are one of the most common pathogens in young children, accounting for 10‐29% of upper respiratory infections, the diseases they cause are believed to be mild and self‐limiting . However, HAdVs sometimes cause outbreaks of severe disease not only in children, but also in adults . Understanding the circulation patterns of and inflammatory responses to HAdV in healthy children might have epidemiological significance since virus circulating in the normal population may serve as a reservoir for outbreaks.…”

Seroprevalence of neutralizing antibodies against human adenovirus type 55 in the South Korean military, 2018-2019

“…Before the neutralizing assays, the serum samples were heat inactivated at 56°C for 30 min, and then stored at 4°C. Neutralization activity against HAdV-4, a community-circulating HAdV strain, was also evaluated as a control [ 12 , 14 ]. We used a rabbit immunization model to establish PRNTs against HAdV-55 and HAdV-4 and confirmed the no cross-reactivity between HAdV-4 and HAdV-55 sera.…”

“…In the winter of 2014, HAdV-55 caused a large ongoing outbreak within the military and is currently considered a major pathogen of severe pneumonia among military personnel [ 10 , 11 ]. However, a molecular typing study of respiratory HAdV in the Korean civilian community has not been conducted since 2010 [ 12 ], and the current epidemiologic status of HAdV-55 among Koreans who have been discharged from military service is unknown. In May 2017, the first HAdV-55 outbreak among the Korean civilian community was reported from a high school, emphasizing the need for an epidemiologic investigation of HAdV-55 in Korea [ 13 ].…”