Microbiology · Other DNA viruses
Adenovirus !
- Virus
- Non-enveloped (naked)
- Contact
- Droplet
- Exam priority: medium
A non-enveloped virus behind colds, sore throat, conjunctivitis and diarrhea; it resists many disinfectants and causes outbreaks.
Updated 2026-11-01
Also called: pharyngoconjunctival fever, epidemic keratoconjunctivitis
At a glance
- Shape
- Icosahedral, non-enveloped, with fibres at the vertices (pentons)
- Genome
- Linear double-stranded DNA
- Envelope
- Non-enveloped (naked)
- Family
- Adenoviridae
- Size
- About 70 to 90 nm
Morphology
- Naked icosahedral capsid with projecting fibres that bind the cell receptor
- Replicates in the nucleus and forms intranuclear inclusions
Transmission
- Respiratory droplets
- Contact with contaminated hands, surfaces and instruments (tonometers, eye drops)
- Fecal-oral (enteric types)
- Poorly chlorinated swimming pools in pharyngoconjunctival fever
Reservoir: Humans
Isolation precautions
What the care team adds to standard precautions.
- Contact
- Gown and gloves; dedicated equipment. For C. difficile, soap-and-water hand washing.
- Droplet
- Surgical mask within about a metre; single room.
Virulence factors
- Survives hours on surfaces and resists many common disinfectants
- Can stay latent in lymphoid tissue (tonsils, adenoids)
- Early proteins that block apoptosis and the immune response
Diseases it causes
- Conjunctivitis and epidemic keratoconjunctivitis Conjunctivitis →
- Acute gastroenteritis in children (enteric types 40 and 41) Acute (viral) gastroenteritis →
- Pharyngitis, pneumonia, hemorrhagic cystitis and disseminated disease in the immunocompromised
Clinical picture
- Pharyngoconjunctival fever: fever, pharyngitis and conjunctivitis, typical of outbreaks in children
- Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis: a highly contagious red eye, with outbreaks in eye clinics
- Hemorrhagic cystitis in children and transplant recipients
- Respiratory outbreaks in military recruits
Diagnosis
- PCR or antigen testing on respiratory, conjunctival or stool samples
- Clinical diagnosis in most mild cases
Treatment
No antiviral is specifically approved; care is supportive. Cidofovir has been used in immunocompromised patients with severe disease.
Drug class only; doses and regimens are set by the clinician from the current guideline.
In Pharmacology:
Prevention
- Hand hygiene and equipment cleaning with disinfectants that work on non-enveloped viruses
- Proper pool chlorination
- Droplet and contact precautions for pneumonia; contact precautions for conjunctivitis
- In the United States an oral vaccine (types 4 and 7) exists for military personnel only
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which triad defines pharyngoconjunctival fever?
Fever, pharyngitis and conjunctivitis, with outbreaks linked to poorly chlorinated pools.
Why do adenoviruses cause outbreaks in eye clinics?
They have no envelope, survive on surfaces and instruments, and resist many disinfectants.
Which precautions apply to adenovirus pneumonia?
Standard precautions plus droplet and contact precautions for the duration of illness.
Related
Related conditions
← Back to the group: Other DNA viruses
Educational content on microorganisms; not a treatment guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.
Sources: Clinical Overview of Adenovirus (CDC, 2024); Appendix A: Type and Duration of Precautions Recommended for Selected Infections and Conditions (CDC, 2024).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.