Ninth child dies following viral outbreak at New Jersey health care facility

Oct. 28--A ninth child has died of a viral outbreak at a New Jersey health care facility, the state department of health said Sunday.

The "medically fragile" child, whose identity was not made public, died late Saturday at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Haskell, N.J., just one day after the facility's eighth death.

The patient was one of 25 sickened by an outbreak of a respiratory virus called adenovirus, which swept through Wanaquebetween Sept. 26 and Oct. 22, mainly affecting patients in the pediatric ventilator unit.

Adenovirus can cause bronchitis, pneumonia and pink eye, but is especially dangerous to those with already compromised immune systems.

State health officials said the ninth victim became ill before Oct. 22, and that no patients have gotten sick since then.

"This is a tragic situation, and our thoughts are with the families who are grieving right now," Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal said in a statement. "We are working every day to ensure all infection control protocols are continuously followed and closely monitoring the situation at the facility."

The Health Department first learned of the outbreak Oct. 9, and within four days, inspectors found a hand-washing deficiency. The facility has been barred from admitting new patients for the duration of the outbreak.

The mother of a 16-year-old girl who was killed by the viral outbreak said her daughter Elizabeth was diagnosed days before the state health department knew about the virus.

"Am I angry? I think what it is I need to know information. I like facts," Kristine Poulos told ABC-TV. "I just want to know what happened. She's gone. I can't bring her back. She's not coming back."

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