Adenovirus Serotype 14 Hexon Sequences Released
Recombinomics Commentary
November 16, 2007
Today Genbank released three partial hexon sequences from military recruits infected with the Adenovirus serotype 14 (Ad14) last year. The sequences, NHRC13215 (Great Lakes, IL), NHRC22039 (San Diego, CA), and NHRC63245 (Fort Benning, GA) were identical and differed from earlier Ad14 sequences at two position (one of which was non-synonymous, M-->I, which is in Ad38 and simian Ad3). The identical sequences are from isolates collected in April, 2006 and are almost certainly identical matches to the sequences from military and civilian patients this year (which were identical to each other).
As indicated in the recent paper on the sudden rise in Ad14 detection at military bases began last year and have skyrocketed at Lackland Airforce Base in Texas this year, replacing Ad4, which was widely detected in >95% of adenovirus infections in preceding years, in the absence of Ad14,
These changes suggest the level of Ad14 in circulation is on the rise. The increase is readily detected at military bases where adenovirus is routinely subtyped. At Lackland, approximately 1/4 of the positive patients were hospitalized and 1/5 were subsequently moved to the ICU, where one died.
However, the infection has been considerable more severe in the older civilian population, where 1/4 of the ad4 positive patients in Oregon, Washington, and New York have died.
Today’s MMWR and associated media coverage should help determine the breadth of ad14 infections in the civilian population as well as the associated case fatality rate..
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