Emergence of a new human adenovirus type 4 (Ad4) genotype: identification of a novel inverted terminal repeated (ITR) sequence from majority of Ad4 isolates from US military recruits.

Background: Ad4 is the principal etiological agent of acute respiratory disease (ARD) in the US military. Discovery of the novel 208bp inverted terminal repeated (ITR) sequence from a recent Ad4 Jax78 field isolate was totally distinct from the analogous 116bp ITR of Ad4 prototype.

Objectives: To investigate the origin and distribution of the novel Ad4 ITR sequence from ARD infections.