Causes of Adenovirus and the Ways Adenoviruses Are Transmitted
There are about 50 different forms of adenoviruses that infect people. Different types affect certain body parts differently. The virus is very contagious. People with weakened immune systems and young children are more susceptible to infection.
Adenoviruses spread easily. They can quickly spread by:
- Close contact: Hand shaking, kissing, and embracing are all ways that the virus can pass from one person to another.
- Airborne: Sneezing and coughing can spread the infection through the air. Sneezes, coughs, and other respiratory discharges can spread to other persons through the air.
- Surfaces and objects: After touching a contaminated surface, before washing your hands, you can contract the virus by touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Stool (poop): An infected person’s stool may carry the virus. You might contract an infection while changing your baby’s diaper, for instance.
- Water: Unchlorinated water might help the virus spread. A person sick with an adenovirus, for instance, can spread the infection by swimming in a pool without enough chlorine. However, this kind of proliferation is uncommon.
Adenoviruses are immune to a variety of widely used disinfectants. As a result, they can spread disease for a very long time on surfaces.
Furthermore, even after you have recovered from an infection, these viruses might continue to discharge from your body (shed) for days or even weeks. So even if you are symptom-free, the infection can still spread.