Research at UNC School of Medicine have linked adenovirus infection with a rare blood clotting disorder. This is the first time that the common respiratory virus, which causes mild cold-and flu-like symptoms, has been reported to be associated with blood clots and severe thrombocytopenia.
Thrombocytopenia is a condition in which a person has a low number of platelets, the blood cells responsible for clotting.
The new observation, made by UNC School of Medicine’s Stephan Moll, MD, and Jacquelyn Baskin-Miller, MD, suggests that a life-threatening blood clotting disorder can be caused by an infection with adenovirus, one of the most common respiratory viruses in pediatric and adult patients.
Learn more about the full scope of the research here.