6 children dead in viral outbreak

A severe viral outbreak at a New Jersey pediatric nursing home has left six children dead and 12 others infected, the state’s Department of Health said Tuesday.

The outbreak occurred at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Haskell, in northern New Jersey. The center’s website says it treats “medically fragile children” in its pediatrics center.

The Health Department said it was conducting an investigation at the center and that the facility had been instructed not to admit any new patients until the outbreak ends.

It was not clear when the children died, and there was no information provided on their ages.

“The N.J. Department of Health was notified by the facility on Oct. 9, 2018, of some respiratory illnesses,” said Donna Leusner, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health. “We have been working closely with the facility since then.”

Inspectors from the Health Department arrived at Wanaque Center on Sunday and found “minor handwashing deficiencies,” the department said in a statement.

The outbreak, the agency said, was a particular strain of adenovirus, which often causes mild respiratory illness like the common cold and bronchitis, particularly in young children.

Adenoviruses rarely result in serious illness but can be fatal to those with compromised immune systems.

The children at the Wanaque Center are pediatric long-term care residents. Some are reliant on ventilators and tracheal tubes.

“The combination of a worse strain of adenovirus together with a fragile population has led to a more severe outbreak,” the department said.

The Department of Health said they had recommended several infection control steps to the facility, including the use of a hospital-grade disinfectant effective against the virus, quarantining sick patients, ensuring that employees use gloves and masks and enforcing proper handwashing protocol.