Wild-Type Human Adenovirus (Serotype 27)

The family Adenovirus (AdV) comprises two genera: mammalian AdV and avian AdV. Human adenovirus (HAdV) is a member of the mammalian AdV genus. Rowe et al. isolated and cultured a novel virus from atrophic tonsil tissue in healthy individuals in 1953, marking the first discovery of HADV in human history. Hilleman et al. isolated the same virus from throat lavage fluid of patients with acute respiratory infections in 1954. In 1956, Balducci et al. named it HADV based on the fact that the virus frequently resides in glandular tissue and that it was first isolated from glandular tissue.

Initially, HADV was classified into 69 serotypes based on its ability to be neutralized by specific animal antisera. Furthermore, based on its ability to agglutinate human, rat, and monkey erythrocytes and its carcinogenicity in rodents, HADV can be further subdivided into seven subgroups (A-G). There are some specific correlations between different subgroups and their tissue tropism and clinical characteristics. Subgroups B1, C, and E mainly cause respiratory diseases, while subgroups B, D, and E can induce eye diseases. Subgroup F is the cause of gastroenteritis, and subgroup B2 mainly infects the urinary tract, bladder, and kidneys.