Cold, Flu, & Cough Health Center

Killer Cold Virus: Questions, Answers

Does the CDC expect Ad14 to become a bigger public health problem?

Anderson: "We don't know if it is going to be a bigger problem. We had this cluster in Oregon, which for the broader public health community is the one that stands out. But we have not had reports of other clusters of cases like this. This probably means there have not been any other major clusters of cases. One reason we put out the MMWR report is to alert public health officials so we can see whether this is a wider problem. That we have not heard anything more suggests it is not a major public health problem like flu or RSV.

"So is Ad14 something I should be alarmed about? The answer is no. Doctors should keep it in mind when making a diagnosis, but there is nothing different for people to do."