by Infection Protection
Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007 at 4:23 PM
Officials of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are saying that a mutant version of a common cold virus — the adenovirus — has caused 10 deaths in the last 18 months.
Officials of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are saying that a mutant version of a common cold virus — the adenovirus — has caused 10 deaths in the last 18 months. Generally, adenoviruses cause respiratory infections that aren’t considered deadly. But a new variant is, and has caused at least 1,035 illnesses in New York, Oregon, Washington and Texas. Dozens of patients have been hospitalized thus far. “It’s an uncommon infection,” says Dr. Larry Anderson, a CDC epidemiologist. Presenting systems of the virus include a high fever and difficulty breathing.