Fatal Adenovirus Pneumonia in Two Newborn Infants, One Case Caused by Adenovirus Type 30.

Adenovirus rarely causes pneumonia in the newborn infant. We added 2 cases of fatal adenovirus neonatal pneumonia to the 3 cases previously reported. One of our cases was caused by adenovirus type 30, which is not previously known to be a pathogen. While the pneumonia could have been acquired in the nursery, the presence of chorioamnionitis and mixed infection with group B beta-hemolytic streptococcus suggests that an ascending infection from the birth canal might be another mode of transmission for neonatal adenovirus pneumonia.