Common cold virus linked to potentially fatal blood clotting disorder

Aug. 17, 2023
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.

After a robust clinical and research collaboration, Stephan Moll, MD, and Jacquelyn Baskin-Miller, MD, both in the UNC School of Medicine, have linked adenovirus infection with a rare blood clotting disorder.

Their new observation, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, sheds new light on the virus and its role in causing an anti-platelet factor 4 disorder. Additionally, the discovery opens a whole new door for research, as many questions remain as to how and why this condition occurs – and who is most likely to develop the disorder.

UNC Healthcare release