ISOLATION OF ADENOVIRUS TYPE-11 FROM THE BRAIN OF A NEONATE WITH PNEUMONIA AND ENCEPHALITIS

We describe a fatal case of adenovirus pneumonia accompanied by enceph alitis in a neonate who showed lethargy on the 6th day and died on the 12th day. Adenoviral particles as well as viral intranuclear inclusio ns were noted in pulmonary alveolar epithelium cells. Neuropathologica l examination revealed diffuse oedema, perivascular cuffing and gliosi s in the white matter. Adenovirus type 11 was isolated from lung, hila r lymph node, and brain tissue. This is the first instance of adenovir us isolation from brain tissue in a newborn infant. The virological an d neuropathological findings sugest the invasion of neural tissue by a denovirus and substantiate the significance of neurological symptoms o bserved in neonatal adenovirus infection.