Who is Most at Risk of Ad14 Infection and Severe Illness?

The mutated cold virus Ad14 infection has symptoms that typically resemble cold symptoms. It is not until symptoms grow more severe fever that doesn't break or continues to rise, runny nose, sore throat or productive cough that doctors may consider testing patients for Ad14 infection.

Those who are at highest risk for any viral infection and specifically for Ad14 infection include health workers who treat infected patients, those infected with HIV/AIDS or other immunity compromising illness, anyone with other underlying health conditions. In the fatal cases reported one was a 12 day infant girl, born healthy. Other deaths have occurred in cases where those infected tested were HIV positive. Otherwise, experts are just not certain why some patients exhibit only mild symptoms and recover quickly and others die.

Some Ad14 cases studied have included smokers and others with compromised immune systems. Chronic illness and obesity have recently been identified as risk factors. Those with heart infections, brain infections and other inflammatory diseases of the lungs are also at higher risk than the general public.

A CDC report of the study done on Ad14 patients reveals, 22 or 73% of those infected were male and their median age was 53.4 years. The ages actually ranged from 2 weeks to 82 years old. Five cases occurred in patients under 5 years old, and the remaining 20 (83%) occurred in patients over 18 years. 73% (22) of the patients required hospitalization, with sixteen or 53% of those requiring intensive care Seven (23%) died from severe pneumonia.

Median age of the patients who died was 63.6 years and 5 were male. One death occurred in a one-month old infant. No link was found in either in hospitals or the community to explain the method of transmission of Ad14 from one patient to another.