Disseminated adenovirus serotype 31 infection in an immunocompromised host

Adenoviruses are ubiquitous organisms but only infrequently have been implicated as a cause of hepatitis and rarely as a cause of fatal disease. A fatal case of disseminated adenovirus serotype 31 infection is described. It occurred in a patient with severe combined immunodeficiency who received a fetal liver transplant and subsequently developed massive hepatic necrosis. To the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first reported case of disseminated disease due to serotype 31.