10th Kid Dies, 28th Sickened From Adenovirus In Wanaque Facility

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A 10th child has died of an adenovirus infection that spread at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, state health officials announced.

The "medically fragile child" lived at the facility and was one of 28 pediatric cases confirmed during the outbreak, the state Department of Health said in a news release. The most recent onset of illness was Tuesday.

All of the affected children had severely compromised immune systems, including respiratory problems, before the outbreak began, officials said.

The 28 people in the outbreak, which include a staff member who has since recovered, became sick between Sept. 26 and Oct. 30.

The adenovirus has an incubation period of two to 14 days and symptoms usually appear during that time.

Later onset of illness is not unexpected due to the long incubation period of adenovirus. The Department of Health will not consider the outbreak over until four weeks after the last illness onset. State personnel will remain at the facility until the outbreak is over.

The Wanaque facility will not admit new residents for the duration of the outbreak.

State health officials were notified of the virus at the facility Oct. 9. The state began monitoring the situation Oct. 10.

A report released by the New Jersey Department of Health Tuesday revealed lapses in hand-washing and infection control during a surprise inspection earlier this month. (See related: Report Details Lapses In Care At Wanaque Facility Where 9 Kids Died)

Nurses and other personnel either did not wash their hands in between touching equipment attached to patients and themselves or other equipment, nor did some wash their hands for the required 20 seconds they should have after doing so.

Adenoviruses are typically a family of viruses that often cause mild illness, particularly in young children. But this particular strain of adenovirus (#7) is affecting medically fragile children with severely compromised immune systems.

Adenoviruses can cause mild to severe illness, though serious illness is less common. People with weakened immune systems, or existing respiratory or cardiac disease, are at higher risk of developing severe illness from an adenovirus infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

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