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By Maggie Fox
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday their participation in an investigation into an adenovirus outbreak that killed a student at the University of Maryland and made at least five others sick.
Olivia Paregol, 18, died on November 18, according to an obituary. She was a freshman at the university and died of respiratory symptoms typical of the virus, said her father, Ian Paregol, to local TV stations and the Baltimore Sun.
At least one of the people affected by the outbreak was infected with adenovirus 7, a strain that can cause life-threatening pneumonia, the Maryland Department of Health said in a statement sent to NBC News. This is the same strain of adenovirus that killed 11 patients in a long-term care facility in New Jersey.
The CDC said it was testing other samples of patients. Neither the CDC nor the Maryland Department of Health said if it was the adenovirus 7 that had killed Paregol.
Adenoviruses are very common and can cause symptoms ranging from colds to eye infections and sometimes stomach upset. Of the approximately 50 known strains, only a few cause serious disease, but they include the adenovirus 7 strain.
Health officials do not usually follow the virus. So there are no statistics on the number of people he makes sick every year or the number of people who die. But strains of adenoviruses 4 and 7 have already been associated with deadly outbreaks and may be so embarrassing to new recruits in the military that they are now routinely vaccinated. The vaccine is approved only for recruits in the military.
The university is closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, but has confirmed the outbreak and death on its website. "The health center staff is on high alert and we have contacted local medical centers to raise awareness of this disease," said Dr. David McBride, director of the health center. "We offer our condolences during this difficult time."
Two different strains of adenovirus are causing outbreaks in New Jersey: one in Wanaque's long-term care facility and another in a pediatric facility in Voorhees. The New Jersey Department of Health announced that 35 people, mostly sick children, had been infected during the Wanaque outbreak. Eleven are dead. Twelve cases have been reported at Voorhees, all with the adenovirus 3, a strain that is not usually associated with serious illness.
Like many other viruses, adenoviruses spread easily through contact, in the air, by coughing and sneezing, as well as by touching contaminated surfaces, the CDC says. People who are not sick can still transmit the virus to others if they are infected. The virus is not easy to kill.
"Adenoviruses are relatively resistant to common disinfectants and can be detected on surfaces such as doorknobs, objects and water pools and small lakes," said the CDC.
Ian Paregol was quoted as saying that his daughter was taking immunosuppressive medication to treat Crohn's disease. This could have increased the risk of serious illness due to an infection such as adenovirus. "People with weakened immune systems are at risk of developing a serious disease caused by adenovirus infection," says the CDC on its website.
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