Six children at a long-term care facility for medically fragile children in Wanaque, New Jersey have died as a result of a severe outbreak of adenovirus, and 12 others have become ill, the state Health Department said Tuesday.
The Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation "has been instructed not to admit any new patients until the outbreak ends and they are in full compliance," the department said in a statement.
Adenoviruses are common viruses that affect the lining of the airways, intestines, eyes or urinary tract and are responsible for some colds, coughs, sore throats, pinkeye and diarrhea. Usually, the illnesses are mild, but for people with weakened immune systems they can be life-threatening.
Health Department investigators returned to the facility Tuesday after a visit Sunday found "minor handwashing deficiencies." The state was notified of respiratory illnesses at the center in the Haskell section of the borough on Oct. 9.
"This is an ongoing outbreak investigation," the department said.
Children at the center are severely disabled. Some live in comas. For most, the center is their permanent home; some will live there from birth through age 21, when they may move to another unit. Many will never walk or talk.
The center is licensed to provide long-term care for 92 children and 135 adults. They became residents of the center because of neuromuscular and respiratory problems caused by genetic issues, accidents at birth or abuse they suffered. Some, for example, were shaken babies. Many families live far away, are incarcerated or out of the picture for other reasons.
The strain of adenovirus identified at the center, No. 7, usually causes acute respiratory illness, such as pneumonia, croup and bronchitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
More than 60 of the center's pediatric patients are on ventilators.
“Unfortunately, the particular strain of adenovirus in this outbreak is affecting medically fragile children with severely compromised immune systems,” the department said. “The combination of a worse strain of adenovirus, together with a fragile population, has led to a more severe outbreak.”
Rowena Bautista, the center's administrator, said “facility staff have diligently implemented all available infection control and prevention measures” to protect residents’ health and safety.
The center notified all the appropriate government agencies promptly, Bautista said, including the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Passaic County Health Department.
“The Wanaque Center continues to fully cooperate with these agencies,” she said, “and has sought out their medical guidance with respect to the virus.”
Adenoviruses are hard to get rid of with common disinfectants. They can be detected on surfaces such as doorknobs and IV poles.
The CDC began tracking outbreaks of adenovirus infection in 2014, after a large outbreak in Oregon of the same type identified in Wanaque. Outbreaks of the virus among military recruits once were common, but these decreased after a vaccine was developed. However, the vaccine is not given to non-military populations.
The center, located at 1433 Ringwood Ave., is owned by a private corporation, Wanaque Nursing & Rehabilitation, whose officers are listed as Daniel Bruckstein and Eugene Ehrenfeld. A message left at their office was not immediately returned.
