Nov. 17 (UPI) — New Jersey health officials confirmed Friday an 11th child died from adenovirus at a nursing and rehabilitation center.
The child died Thursday at Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Haskell. Another 10 children died at the same facility, where 23 others have been sickened.
Many of the children who died were considered “medically fragile.”
“The grief from the loss of a child is overwhelming and we extend our deepest sympathies to this family and all of the families who have had to endure these terrible losses,” Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal said.
Officials halted new patient admissions at the facility since the outbreak Oct. 9. The Health Commission was seeking assistance in separating the ill patients from those who don’t have the virus.
“The strain of adenovirus seen in this outbreak is associated with communal living arrangements and known to cause severe illness,” the New Jersey Department of Health said in a statement.
Adenoviruses are a common group of viruses that can cause cold-like symptoms, sore throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhea and pink eye, and are most common in young children.
