Clinical Spectrum of Adenovirus Infection in Hospitalised Children: A Retrospective Study from Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Published: April 1, 2026 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2026/84947.22816

Satyanarayana Kavali, Roja Aepala, Gajanan Anil Puri, Saigautham Manikyala, Nikhil Dasari, Akhil Vajroju, Ranganathan N Iyer, Vijendra Kawle

1. Head, Department of Paediatrics, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. 2. Consultant Paediatrician, Department of Paediatrics, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. 3. Registrar, Department of Paediatrics, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. 4. Registrar, Department of Paediatrics, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. 5. Registrar, Department of Paediatrics, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. 6. Registrar, Department of Paediatrics, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. 7. Head, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. 8. MD, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hyderabad Central Laboratory, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

Correspondence
Roja Aepala,
Flat 301, B-Block, Legend Galaxy Apartment, Kothapet, Hyderabad-500035, Telangana, India.
E-mail: ronitbasany@gmail.com

Introduction: Human adenoviral infections, though prevalent among children, are often under-reported. Although adenoviral infections are usually self-limiting, they can cause significant morbidity and hospitalisations in children.

Aim: To evaluate the demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiological characteristics of paediatric patients hospitalised with Human Adenovirus (HAdV) infection.

Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based retrospective study conducted in the Paediatric Outpatient Department (OPD) and inpatient wards of Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana, India for a period of 11 months from February 2023 to December 2023. A total of 210 children aged one month to 16 years who tested positive for adenovirus by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) on a nasopharyngeal swab were included in the study. The demographic, clinical, laboratory, and radiological profiles of these cases were analysed. The statistical analysis was performed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 27.0 (Armonk, NY, USA).

Results: Of the 210 children who tested positive for adenovirus, 126 (60%) were males and 129 (61.42%) were between one and five years of age. Notably, 141 children (67.14%) were hospitalised during the summer season. Most cases occurred during the summer months, predominantly among males aged 1-5 years. Symptoms included high-grade persistent fever in 205 cases (97.62%), cough and cold in 129 (61.42%), vomiting in 59 (28.1%) and loose stools in 27 (12.86%). Less frequent presentations were pneumonia in 12 cases (5.71%), seizures in 8 (3.81%), burning micturition in 5 (2.38%) and conjunctivitis in 4 (1.9%). Children were categorised into three groups: A, B and C- based on their clinical presentation as respiratory, gastrointestinal or mixed types, respectively. A significant difference in C-Reactive Protein (CRP) distribution was observed among the three groups (p-value <0.0001). CRP positivity (>10 mg/L) was most frequent in group A, 78/99 (78.8%), followed by group C 36/52 (69.2%), while group B showed a lower proportion 21/59 (35.6%). Group A children had significantly higher CRP levels and a longer duration of fever. Of the 210 cases, 195 children (92.86%) were treated with antibiotics.

Conclusion: The HAdV infections present with high-grade fever and respiratory symptoms are their predominant manifestation. HAdV infections should be considered as a differential diagnosis in children with prolonged fever and multisystem involvement. In addition, gastrointestinal involvement was common. All children had favourable outcomes and were discharged without any complications. Early and accurate diagnosis of HAdV infection using rapid diagnostic tests prevents unnecessary antibiotic use and aids parental counselling and should be routinely employed.

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