In humans, adenoviral infections are a frequent cause of acute upper respiratory tract (URT) infections, i.e. "colds". In addition, they also cause a number of other types of infection including pharyngitis, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis ("pink-eye") and keratoconjunctivitis in infants and young people, and more rarely acute haemorrhagic cystitis and hepatitis, mainly in infants or in the latter case those with liver disease.
Adenovirus infections are very common, most are asymptomatic. Most people have been infected with at least one type by age 15. Virus can be isolated from the majority of tonsils/adenoids surgically removed, indicating latent infections. It is not known how long the virus can persist in the body, or whether it is capable of reactivation after long periods, causing disease It is known that virus is reactivated during immunosuppression, [eg] in AIDS patients.
Acute respiratory disease (ARD) is commonly seen in military recruits probably due to fatigue and crowding in barracks. Two types of adenovirus (known as 4 and 7) are responsible for these outbreaks and a vaccine is available.
Eye infections characterized by a mild conjunctivitis "swimming pool conjunctivitis" are caused by adenoviruses and have been linked to transmission in contaminated swimming pools.
Adenoviral types 8 and 37 can cause a more severe illness known as epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC). Corneal opacity with concomitant vision loss in 10% of cases.