
Unlike the flu, adenovirus infections remain common throughout the year. They do, however, peak in the winter months, much like flu. Around 10 percent of all childhood fevers are caused by these viruses which most commonly affect the lining of the upper respiratory tract, including the lungs. The infection can also spread and infect other organs such as the eyes, the stomach, and the intestines. Although rare, the virus can work its way past the immune system, causing infection to the liver, heart or brain.
Turning the inner workings of cells into virus-making factories, adenovirus hijacks all that the body usually relies on for health and safety, making it a particularly troublesome illness to fight off. The symptoms are many and varied, though the site of the infection is usually the determining factor in how severe and widespread these symptoms turn out to be. Here is a sample of some of those symptoms.
1. Fever
Children and infants picking up a fever is always a worrying and troublesome thing to witness, especially for the onlooking parents, as they are less able to understand what it is happening to themselves and can become really upset and hard to calm down. With a body in a confused and panicked state, the increasing temperatures and incessant shivering are telltale signs of adenovirus that parents need to watch out for.
It’s important to have a working thermometer to hand and it’s a good idea to note down temperature readings on a half-hourly basis. As with an adult fever, the child insisting that they are cold does not justify wrapping them up warm, as the body needs to cool down quickly. Fever in the early stages is a definite hint that adenovirus and some of its other associated symptoms are on the way. Some of the other symptoms are just as many dead giveaways at the fever.