Adenovirus infection causing high fever in children confirmed in 10 out of 13 samples

By Mahima Devkota, Kathamndu, July 27: 10 out of the 13 samples sent by Kanti Children's Hospital for adenovirus have tested positive for the virus.

Dr. Ram Hari Chapagain, information officer and a senior consultant at the Kanti Children's Hospital, said that The Kanti Children’s Hospital had sent 13 samples to the National Public Health Laboratory, Teku suspecting the prevalence of adenovirus of which, ten tested positive for adenovirus and three samples for influenza virus.

The virus infection was suspected because the majority of children were brought to the hospital with a high fever above 103 degrees and were showing symptoms of adenovirus.

According to him, the virus is spread through person-to-person contact as well as from respiratory contact. Adenovirus infection occurs mostly in school-age children.

One can get infected by touching hands, and then touching other parts of the body such as the mouth, nose, or eyes without washing hands. The virus is more likely to spread quickly among children because they are more likely to touch their faces and mouth.

Dr. Chapagain, adenovirus resurfaces time and again and does not get mutated. However, adenovirus affects different bodily systems causing symptoms such as high fever with burning eyes, sore throat, pain in various parts of the body, reddening in one eye, runny nose,  swelling of glands, pneumonia, and even jaundice in some children.

Similarly, problems such as headache, nausea, vomiting, pain while urinating, frequent urination, and blood in the urine are observed as well.

The infection clears up on its own time within a few days. There is no need to conduct any testing if the infection is mild in children. However, attention needs to be paid to children with serious conditions and weak immune systems, he said.

Children may show symptoms for two weeks after being exposed to adenovirus and are seen as reluctant to eat.

Dr. Jagat Jivan Ghimire, a consultant pediatrician, pediatric pulmonologist, and intensivist at Kanti Children’s Hospital, said that adenovirus is a common virus causing infection in children. Illness of fever may persist for a long time than the other fever caused by other infections.

The basic fever treatment requisites such as giving frequent water, giving water bandages, soups, and taking off clothes in case of high fever can be applied for recovery.

He said, "Few of the cases of infections caused by adenovirus can have protracted course of wheeze and noisy breathing, which is called infectious bronchiolitis. A cough that is persistent for more than two weeks may be caused by the adenovirus. "