[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Microbiology](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/) › [Other DNA viruses](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/groups/other-dna-viruses/) › Adenovirus

[Microbiology](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/) · [Other DNA viruses](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/groups/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

## Key points

- A non-enveloped double-stranded DNA virus: resists alcohol and causes hospital outbreaks.
- Pharyngoconjunctival fever (pools) and epidemic keratoconjunctivitis.
- Types 40 and 41: diarrhea in children; also hemorrhagic cystitis.
- Adenovirus pneumonia: droplet and contact precautions.

## 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 →](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/conjunctivitis/)
- Acute gastroenteritis in children (enteric types 40 and 41) [Acute (viral) gastroenteritis →](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/acute-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:

- [Cidofovir](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/cidofovir/)

## 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

## Memory aid

Adeno comes from the adenoids, where it was first found: throat, eye and fever, like a pool day gone wrong.

## 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.

[Add to my cards (3)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/microbiology/adenovirus/)

## Related

- [JC polyomavirus](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/jc-polyomavirus/)

## Related conditions

- [Conjunctivitis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/conjunctivitis/)
- [Acute (viral) gastroenteritis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/acute-gastroenteritis/)

## What the colours mean

**Gram-positive**
Thick peptidoglycan wall: stains purple.

**Gram-negative**
Thin wall with an outer membrane: stains pink.

**Acid-fast**
Lipid-rich wall (mycobacteria): Ziehl–Neelsen stain.

**Contact**
Gown and gloves; dedicated equipment. For C. difficile, soap-and-water hand washing.

**Droplet**
Surgical mask within about a metre; single room.

**Airborne**
N95 respirator and a negative-pressure room.

[← Back to the group: Other DNA viruses](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/groups/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](https://www.cdc.gov/adenovirus/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html) (CDC, 2024); [Appendix A: Type and Duration of Precautions Recommended for Selected Infections and Conditions](https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/isolation-precautions/appendix-a-type-duration.html) (CDC, 2024).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/adenovirus/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/adenovirus/