Outbreak of adenovirus type 4 conjunctivitis in South Australia

Abstract

An outbreak of adenovirus type 4 conjunctivitis occurred in South Australia between April and November 1992. Eye swabs were submitted by general practitioners and ophthalmologists who had seen patients with clinical conjunctivitis or keratitis. Apart from interfamilial spread, there were no other common epidemiological factors. Adenovirus was isolated from the eye swabs of 38 patients. Isolates were typed by neutralisation tests and restriction endonuclease cleavage patterns and found to be adenovirus type 4. This report serves to illustrate an infrequent cause of epidemic conjunctivitis, namely adenovirus type 4. There was no demonstrable focus of the outbreak.

Molecular epidemiology of adenovirus strains isolated from patients with ocular disease in the area of Thessaloniki, Greece (1998-2002)

“…Outbreaks of Ad4 have been reported in Asia, Europe, and Australia [Aoki et al, 1982;Cooper et al, 1993;Schepetiuk et al, 1993]. Two strikingly dissimilar genome types of Ad4 prototype and Ad4a have been demonstrated by DNA restriction enzyme analysis (RFLP) to be implicated [Li and Wadell, 1988a;Itakura et al, 1991].…”

“…Other types such as adenovirus 1, 2, and 6 (subgenus C) and 9, 10, 15, 17, 20, 22, 29 (subgroup D) and adenovirus 7,16 of subgroup B have been reported to cause conjunctivitis. Adenovirus type 4 is a significant cause of outbreak of respiratory disease among military recruits, but it has also been associated with follicular conjunctivitis [Aoki et al, 1982;Cooper et al, 1993;Schepetiuk et al, 1993]. In Western countries adenoviral conjunctivitis is frequently reported as swimming pool conjunctivitis or nosocomial conjunctivitis.…”

Caracterización genética de adenovirus aislados de conjuntivitis folicular y queratoconjuntivitis epidémica en un grupo de pacientes mexicanos

“…Según la distribución de los casos parecen no tener un comportamiento estacional. responsables de infecciones respiratorias, sin embargo, se ha reportado que una conjuntivitis folicular puede ocurrir como parte de un síndrome respiratorio-faríngeo o como una entidad separada; la enfermedad está frecuentemente acompañada de linfoadenopatía (4)(5)(6). En este estudio se identificaron como signos consistentes asociados a la presencia de Ad1 y Ad2 ojo rojo y quemosis.…”

“…Las infecciones que producen estos virus están íntimamente relacionadas con su tropismo en diversos tejidos (3). En la literatura se ha mostrado la variedad de serotipos de Ad pertenecientes a los subgeneros B (Ad3 y Ad7), C (Ad1, Ad2, y Ad5), o E (Ad4), como causantes esporádicos de conjuntivitis, conjuntivitis folicular o fiebre faringo-conjuntival (4)(5)(6). Los brotes epidémicos son producidos por el subgenero D fundamentalmente por Ad8 asociado a queratoconjuntivitis epidémica (7,8).…”

The Evaluation of Anti-Adenoviral Therapeutic Agents for use in Acute Conjunctivitis

“…Adenoviral transmission between infected and uninfected hosts is particularly efficient in areas of high population density, overcrowding or poor hygiene 19 . Studies on the rate of 20 horizontal transmission to asymptomatic family members and close contacts suggest transmissibility of up to 50% 21,22,23 . Adenovirus is spread through droplets from the respiratory tract, stool, saliva and tears.…”