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Atlas · 8 target organs

Adenovirus symptoms

Adenovirus can affect the airways, the eyes and the gut. Here are the signs that set it apart from an ordinary cold.

Checked against sources: October 9, 2026Sources: 9Next review: October 9, 2027How we check facts

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I / VIIIOCULUS

Eyes

Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

Conjunctivitis (pink eye): redness, follicles and membranes on the inner lining of the eyelids, bleeding spots [1]. In epidemic keratoconjunctivitis the cornea is affected too [2].

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II / VIIIPHARYNX · TONSILLAE

Throat and tonsils

Pharyngitis and tonsillitis

Pharyngitis (sore throat) and tonsillitis are the main airway syndromes of adenovirus infection [3]. Adenovirus infects the lining of the airways and lymphoid tissue [4].

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III / VIIINODI LYMPHATICI

Lymph nodes

Swollen lymph nodes

Nearby lymph nodes may swell [3]; with conjunctivitis, tender lymph nodes near the eye become enlarged [1].

IV / VIIITRACHEA · BRONCHI

Trachea and bronchi

Bronchitis

Bronchitis [3]. The cough with adenovirus infection can last 2 weeks or longer, up to a month [3]. A rare complication in children is bronchiolitis obliterans (scarring of the smallest airways) [5].

V / VIIIPULMONES

Lungs

Pneumonia

Pneumonia. Purely viral lung infections are more common in babies and in people with weakened immune systems [6].

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VI / VIIIHEPAR · LIEN

Liver and spleen

Enlarged liver and spleen

Sometimes the liver and spleen become enlarged [3].

VII / VIIIINTESTINUM

Intestines

Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea [4]. Types 40 and 41 are the second most common cause of diarrhea in children after rotavirus [7].

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VIII / VIIIVESICA URINARIA

Bladder

Hemorrhagic cystitis

Hemorrhagic cystitis (bladder inflammation with blood in the urine) is caused by types 11, 34 and 35, most often in people with weakened immunity after a transplant [7].

In brief

  • Most often adenovirus looks like a cold or the flu: fever and sore throat [9].
  • What sets it apart: besides the airways, it affects lymphoid tissue, the conjunctiva of the eyes and the gut [4].
  • With adenovirus, a temperature above 38 °C (100.4 °F) can last up to 5–7 days, longer than with most respiratory viruses [4].
  • A test helps pin down the exact cause: a rapid test or PCR of a swab [4].

Where it shows up

Which symptoms appear depends partly on the virus type [8].

Throat and breathing
  • cold- or flu-like symptoms
  • fever
  • sore throat
  • acute bronchitis, pneumonia [9]
Eyes
  • conjunctivitis (pink eye): red eyes [9]
Gut
  • nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain [9]

Less often, adenovirus causes bladder inflammation and neurological disease [9].

How adenovirus differs from a common cold

In the airways, adenoviruses mainly cause pharyngitis (sore throat), tonsillitis and bronchitis [3].

“Symptoms appear gradually: first fever, then conjunctivitis, then cough”

Ekaterina Serebrennikova, general practitioner at the medtech company Doktor Ryadom (translated from Russian)
Izvestia (in Russian), May 24, 2023

In children and adults

Babies under 6 months are protected from adenovirus by their mother's antibodies. After that, a child may get it several times, and the chance of getting sick decreases with age [4]. More in adenovirus in children and adenovirus in adults.

Severe illness is more likely in people with weakened immune systems and in those with respiratory or heart disease [9].

How to confirm it

Adenovirus infection often looks like a cold or the flu [9]. A test helps identify the cause: a rapid test or a PCR swab [4]. How testing works is covered in adenovirus testing, and you can compare signs in the interactive adenovirus, flu or COVID.

When an adult should see a doctor urgently

Russian Ministry of Health clinical guidelines for adults advise seeing a doctor for cold and flu-like (ARVI) symptoms and requesting a home visit from a doctor if your temperature is above 38.5 °C (101.3 °F). It is especially important to get medical help if [3]:

  • you have a high fever;
  • you become short of breath;
  • a severe headache won't go away;
  • you keep vomiting and it brings no relief;
  • your blood pressure drops sharply.
Based on the "Information for patients" section of the Russian Ministry of Health clinical guidelines "ARVI in adults" [3]. For children, see the separate list in adenovirus in children.

Frequently asked questions

What are the first symptoms of adenovirus?

Most often the symptoms resemble a cold or the flu: fever and a sore throat [9].

How is adenovirus different from other respiratory viruses?

It stands out by conjunctivitis, swollen lymph nodes and a long-lasting fever of up to 5–7 days [4] [3]. A rapid test or PCR helps identify the exact cause [4].

Is adenovirus dangerous?

Most adenovirus infections are mild [8]. Severe illness is more common in people with weakened immune systems and with respiratory or heart conditions [9].

Adenovirus, flu or COVID

Check the signs you have and see what CDC and clinical guidelines say about each.

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Sources

  1. Russian Ministry of Health, Association of Ophthalmologists, Russian Ophthalmological Society. Clinical guidelines “Conjunctivitis”, adults and children, ID 629_2, 2024 (in Russian). Accessed October 8, 2026.
  2. CDC, MMWR. Adenovirus-Associated Epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis Outbreaks — Four States, 2008–2010. MMWR 2013;62(32):637–641. Accessed October 8, 2026.
  3. Russian Ministry of Health. Clinical guidelines “Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) in adults”, ID 724_2, published in the guidelines database on August 4, 2025 (in Russian). Accessed October 9, 2026.
  4. Russian Ministry of Health, Union of Pediatricians of Russia. Clinical guidelines “Acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI)”, children, ID 25_3, published in the guidelines database on September 2, 2026 (in Russian). Accessed October 8, 2026.
  5. Russian Ministry of Health. Clinical guidelines “Acute bronchiolitis”, children, ID 360_3, published in the guidelines database on January 14, 2025 (in Russian). Accessed October 10, 2026.
  6. Russian Ministry of Health. Clinical guidelines “Pneumonia (community-acquired)”, children, ID 714_2, published in the guidelines database on September 8, 2025 (in Russian). Accessed October 10, 2026.
  7. ICTV (International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses). ICTV Report: Family Adenoviridae (Benkő M. et al., updated 2026). Accessed October 10, 2026.
  8. CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Clinical Overview of Adenovirus. Accessed October 7, 2026.
  9. CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). About Adenovirus. Updated December 16, 2025. Accessed October 7, 2026.

This article was prepared by our editorial team from official sources and does not replace a doctor’s advice. Found an error? Write to us.