From the Guidelines
Preventing adenovirus infection primarily involves good hygiene practices, avoiding exposure to infected individuals, and using proper disinfection techniques, as outlined in the most recent guidelines from 2024 1. To prevent adenovirus infection, it is essential to:
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the bathroom, before eating, and after being in public places.
- Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose, and mouth, as these are entry points for the virus.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces regularly using household cleaners containing bleach or alcohol.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick, and if you're ill, stay home to prevent spreading the infection to others.
- For healthcare settings, additional precautions include wearing personal protective equipment when treating infected patients and implementing isolation protocols. Some key considerations for preventing adenovirus infection include:
- Using dilute bleach soaks (sodium hypochlorite) at 1:10 concentration for effective disinfection against adenovirus and HSV, as recommended by the CDC and tonometer manufacturers 1.
- Replacing tonometer prisms every 2 years, after a maximum of 100 disinfection cycles with 1:10 sodium hypochlorite, or if damaged.
- Disinfecting surfaces with an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant in accordance with the label’s use directions and safety precautions.
- Considering the use of disposable tonometer tips or a tonometer with a disposable coverlet to eliminate cross-infections. It is also important to note that:
- Adenoviruses can survive on surfaces for extended periods, making regular disinfection crucial for prevention.
- The virus can be transmitted through respiratory droplets, direct contact with infected individuals, or by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your face.
- Early diagnosis and treatment of infectious conjunctivitis can help reduce the public health and economic impact of community spread, as highlighted in a recent study from 2024 1.
From the Research
Prevention of Adenovirus
- Adenovirus infections can be prevented through various means, including:
- Hand hygiene practice, which is an effective method for reducing healthcare-associated infections and cross-infection between patients 2
- Understanding the mechanisms of viral persistence and the role of persistent infection in disseminated disease in immunocompromised patients 3
- Developing strategies to circumvent pre-existing immunity to adenovirus, such as using alternative Ad serotypes, varying immunization routes, and utilizing prime-boost regimens 4
- Innate immunity plays a crucial role in preventing adenovirus infections, and understanding the mechanisms of innate immunity can help in designing safer adenovirus-based vectors for therapy of genetic and acquired human diseases 5
- The development of novel adenovirus vectors, such as the adenovirus type 4 vector, shows promise as a respiratory vaccine vehicle, with comparable viral growth kinetics and transgene expression, as well as superior humoral and cellular responses and protective effects when vaccinated intranasally 6
- Reactivation of persistent adenovirus infection appears to be the primary source of disseminated infections in immunocompromised patients, and a better definition of the molecular mechanisms of immune-mediated control of viral replication might lead to new strategies for treatment of HAdV reactivation and dissemination 3