Another child dies in virus outbreak at Wanaque long-term care center

A ninth child has died as a result of a severe viral outbreak in the ventilator unit of a long-term care center in Wanaque, the latest casualty of a health crisis that has alarmed much of New Jersey and sparked a response directed by the state's Health Department.

The department confirmed the latest death on Sunday morning. It said in a statement that the child, who died Saturday night, had a confirmed case of adenovirus and became ill before Oct. 22.

There have been 25 pediatric cases associated with the outbreak at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, in the Haskell section of the borough. A staff member also was sickened in the outbreak but has since recovered, according to the Health Department.

Of the nine children who have died, including the one whose death was confirmed Sunday, eight were found to have been sickened by adenovirus. The Health Department said it does not have "laboratory confirmation" of adenovirus for the eighth victim, who died on Friday afternoon.

In a statement on Sunday, the state health commissioner, Dr. Shereef Elnahal, said the situation is “tragic.” The department, he added, is “working every day to ensure all infection control protocols are continuously followed and closely monitoring the situation at the facility.”

So far, all of the people associated with the outbreak became ill between Sept. 26 and Oct. 22. The Health Department was notified of a "cluster of respiratory illnesses" at the center on Oct. 9, after the office closed for the day. Health officials began surveillance work at the facility the next morning.

Children in the facility’s pediatric ventilator unit had severely compromised immune systems before the outbreak began. The investigation is ongoing, so lab tests could confirm additional cases, the Health Department said.

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The type of adenovirus virus involved in this outbreak is associated with communal living arrangements and is known to cause severe illness — especially in those with compromised immune systems.

Adenoviruses are common viruses that affect the lining of the airways, intestines, eyes or urinary tract, and are responsible for some colds, coughs, sore throats, pinkeye and diarrhea. Usually the illnesses are mild, but they can be deadly for people with weakened immune systems.

In a news conference outside the center on Wednesday, Elnahal said it may be "impossible or difficult to know" how the virus got to the facility.

The Wanaque center has set up a 24-hour hotline that families of residents may call, and it is offering access to grief counseling to the affected families, the Health Department said.

Health officials have given out little information about the deaths, such as whether they occurred at the center or at a hospital. They have not disclosed when the first six deaths occurred, saying only that the children died in October. They have not released the ages of the children who have died, saying only that they ranged in age from "toddlers through young adult" and that the "vast majority" were under 18.

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