Adenovirus Serotype 14 Spread at Military Boot Camps
Recombinomics Commentary
November 18, 2007
The recent paper entitled, “Abrupt Emergence of Diverse Species B Adenoviruses at US Military Recruit Training Centers” described the origin of adenovirus serotype 14 (Ad14) at training centers in 2006. The paper includes partial sequences of the hexon gene which showed identity between isolates from three training centers (MRCD in San Diego, Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois, and Fort Benning in Georgia). These reports were followed by an MMWR paper on cases in Oregon, Washington, New York, and Lackland Air Force base in Texas. Most of the cases had disease onset dates in the winter and spring of 2007.
The Naval facility in San Diego does routine Adenovirus testing on samples from recruits at eight training centers in the US and publishes monthly updates showing the incidence and serotype. This site provides updated data for all 2007 through this month. Ad14 has been detected at seven of the eight sites (all but the Coast Guard training site at Cap May in NJ). However, there was considerable variation in the serotype frequencies and progression.
Low levels of Ad14 were found this year at Army training centers at Fort Jackson, SC, Fort Leonard Wood, MO, and Fort Benning, GA as well as the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, IL. At the marine facilities at MCRD San Diego, CA and MCRD Parris Island, SC the Ad14 frequencies rose to 100% in the summer and have steadily declined. The Ad14 was replaced with Ad4, the dominant serotype prior to the emergence of Ad14. The most dramatic and sustained increase was at Lackland Air Force Base in TX, where the frequency rose to 90% in the summer and have increased to 100% of the tested serotypes.
The data from these training centers show the dramatic spread of Ad14 to most of the bases, but show significant regional differences in the level and sustainability of Ad14 at these centers.
There also seem to be regional differences at civilian populations. The highest reported frequencies have been in the northwest, with the largest documented cluster in Oregon.
The prior cases increased in the winter/spring months raising concerns of increases in infections in the civilian population, where most cases were middle aged and the case fatality rate was above 20%.
Ad14 Emergence
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