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Adenovirus outbreak in Lee County confirmed

FRANK GLUCK
FGLUCK@NEWS-PRESS.COM

The Florida Department of Health is confirming a Lee County outbreak of adenovirus, a highly contagious respiratory illness that commonly causes cold-like symptoms, pneumonia, sore throat and diarrhea.

Medical privacy rules prevent the department from saying where the outbreak took place. But St. Andrew's Catholic School in Cape Coral sent home a letter to parents Thursday warning of the outbreak.

In the letter, published on the NBC-2 website, Principal Judi Hughes said the school had hired a cleaning service to sanitize the school and is otherwise discouraging the spread of the virus.

"This includes encouraging children to wash their hands frequently with soap and water and/or hand sanitizer, sanitizing desk/table tops, door knobs, and other surfaces that more than one child uses, reminding them not to share drinks, etc.," Hughes said in the letter.

Diane Holm, spokeswoman for the Department of Health in Lee County could not identify the outbreak site, citing medical privacy regulations. An "outbreak" is defined as two or more confirmed cases of a disease within a given geographical area or, in this case, building.

Adenovirus rarely causes serious illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Most people don't know they have Adenovirus because physicians rarely test when a patient comes to them with a cold," Holm said in an email.

To prevent its spread, the department recommends people wash their hands with soap and water; cover their mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing; avoid touching their eyes, noses or mouths with unwashed hands, avoid close contact with sick people; and to stay home when you are sick.

It also recommends cleaning surfaces with disinfectant, such as bleach, that can kill the adenovirus.

Connect with this reporter: @FrankGluck (Twitter)