Laboratory tests have confirmed four additional confirmed cases of adenovirus in pediatric residents at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Haskell who had already been ill.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases among residents to 23. Of these 23 cases, there have been seven deaths.
The residents who have gotten sick are medically fragile children in the ventilator unit with compromised immune systems.
All of these individuals became ill before October 22, which remains the most recent date of illness onset. To date, confirmed cases became ill between Sept. 26 and Oct. 22.
The facility has agreed to cease new admissions for the duration of the outbreak and yesterday established a 24/7 hotline for families affected. The Wanaque Center is also offering professional grief counseling to anyone impacted.
This is an active investigation of an outbreak of adenovirus so it is possible that lab tests will confirm additional cases. A Department of Health Communicable Disease Service staff member is on site at the facility and monitoring the outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is assisting with lab testing and expertise.
Adenovirus is a respiratory virus which can cause mild or serious illness, though serious illness is less common. Symptoms may include common cold, sore throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhea, pink eye, fever, bladder inflammation or infection, inflammation of the stomach and intestines and neurological disease. The strain of adenovirus seen in this outbreak (#7) is associated with communal living arrangements and is known to cause severe illness — especially in those with compromised immune systems.
The Department is working very closely with the facility to ensure all infection control measures are being followed.