A group of viruses that typically cause respiratory infections, conjunctivitis (pink eye), or gastroenteritis, named because they were first discovered in adenoid tissue.
From 'adeno-' (gland tissue) + 'virus', coined in 1953 when researchers isolated these viruses from adenoid cells during studies of upper respiratory infections.
Adenoviruses are shapeshifters: they're surrounded by a protein shell that can withstand extreme heat and cold, making them remarkably persistent—some strains can survive on a doorknob long enough to infect the next person who touches it.
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