A viral illness outbreak has killed six children and infected 12 others at a medical facility in New Jersey, state health officials confirmed Tuesday.
Eighteen cases of adenovirus, six of them fatal, have been confirmed among pediatric residents at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Haskell, according to a statement from the New Jersey Department of Health. An investigation is ongoing, but the center has agreed not to admit new patients until the outbreak is deemed over.
Here’s what to know about adenovirus and the outbreak in New Jersey.
What is adenovirus?
The various strains of adenovirus can cause a variety of illnesses, ranging from common colds to neurologic conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Illnesses resulting from this family of viruses are usually fairly minor, although certain strains can cause more severe sicknesses. Adenovirus 7, the strain health officials said is behind the New Jersey outbreak, is commonly associated with respiratory diseases, though it’s also been linked to fevers and conjunctivitis (pink eye), according to the CDC.
The viruses can be spread through close personal contact, coughing and sneezing or touching contaminated objects. Some strains can also be spread through water that an infected person has been in or through stool, the CDC says.
What’s behind the New Jersey outbreak?
Wanaque is a residential facility that cares for “medically fragile” newborns, children and young adults, as well as elderly individuals and those requiring rehabilitation. These patients’ preexisting health issues, as well as their shared environment, may have facilitated the spread of adenovirus, according to the state health department.
“Unfortunately, the particular strain of adenovirus (#7) in this outbreak is affecting medically fragile children with severely compromised immune systems,” the New Jersey Department of Health said in its statement. “The strain has been particularly associated with disease in communal living arrangements and can be more severe.” Those with weakened immune systems may also carry and transmit the virus after they have recovered from an illness, the CDC says.
What are other risks of adenovirus outbreaks?
Adenoviruses can cause a variety of illnesses on their own, but the infections are also connected to another pediatric condition in the news: acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a polio-like illness that can cause muscle weakness, paralysis and even death. It’s often difficult to prove what causes AFM, but it can follow adenoviruses, as well as poliovirus, enteroviruses and West Nile virus, the CDC says. The CDC is currently investigating an uptick in AFM cases, with 62 diagnoses confirmed so far this year in 22 states including New Jersey.
What’s known about Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation?
Wanaque Administrator Rowena Bautista said in a statement provided to TIME that the facility is cooperating with local and national health authorities to stem the spread of disease.
“The facility promptly notified all appropriate government agencies when the virus was initially identified, including the New Jersey Department of Health, the Passaic County Department of Health, the Communicable Disease Service and the Centers for Disease Control,” the statement says. “The Wanaque Center continues to fully cooperate with these agencies and has sought out their medical guidance with respect to the virus. As a result, facility staff have diligently implemented all available infection control and prevention measures in order to protect the health and safety of the Wanaque Center’s residents.”
State health officials continue to investigate the outbreak, but initial investigations turned up “minor handwashing deficiencies” at Wanaque. Unrelated Medicare investigations in 2017 and 2016 found “infection control” issues at Wanaque, including failing to properly clean and disinfect surfaces and objects inside the facility, improper storage of syringes and other tools and inadequate hand-washing practices.
Wanaque was also one of the subjects of a $50 million lawsuit earlier this year, when the estate of a 75-year-old Alzheimer’s patient accused staff at the facility, as well as local police, of negligence and recklessness, NorthJersey.com reports.
