How adenovirus spreads and how long you're contagious

How it spreads

• through close contact, such as shaking hands [1];
• through the air, when people cough and sneeze [1];
• via objects and surfaces, if you then touch your mouth, nose or eyes with unwashed hands [1];
• through the sick person's stool, for example when changing a diaper [1];
• less often, through water in poorly chlorinated swimming pools and in natural bodies of water [1].

The clinical guidelines also describe self-inoculation: the virus reaches the lining of the nose or eyes from hands contaminated after contact with a sick person or with surfaces [2].

How many days a person is contagious

Virus shedding peaks on day 3 after infection and drops quickly by day 5, but low-level shedding can continue for up to 2 weeks [2].

After recovery, the virus is sometimes shed for a long time, especially in people with weakened immune systems. This usually happens without symptoms, but the person can still infect others [1]. Adenovirus infection can also be completely asymptomatic [3].

With the eye form, epidemic keratoconjunctivitis, a person is contagious from a few days before symptoms appear until about 14 days after [4].

How long it survives outside the body

Adenovirus is very hardy: at room temperature it survives for up to 2 weeks and withstands cold and drying [2]. It resists many common disinfectants [3], but is killed by ultraviolet light and chlorine-based products [2].

Products that work against norovirus also work against adenoviruses [3]. Alcohol is not suitable for disinfecting eye-care instruments [4].

How not to infect your family

• wash your hands thoroughly after contact with the sick person [2];
• wear a mask in public places; it works as long as it stays dry [5];
• clean surfaces around the sick person and air out the room [2];
• keep chlorine levels in swimming pools adequate: this prevents conjunctivitis outbreaks [1].

Daycare and school

Adenovirus infection occurs everywhere, and outbreaks are possible, especially in groups of children [2]. A sick child stays home and does not go to daycare or school [2]. The Russian clinical guidelines for adults do not call for quarantine of people who had contact with someone with a respiratory viral infection [5].

Is there a vaccine

There is no adenovirus vaccine for the general public. A live oral vaccine against types 4 and 7 is approved only for US military personnel aged 17 to 50 [1] [3].