[Infection rate with adenivirus 1 to 39 in infants and adults].

To study the infection rate with adenoviruses (Ad) in infants, sera from 75 infants aged 8 to 26 months were tested for neutralizing antibodies against Ad 1 to 39. Antibodies against Ad 1, 2, 5, and 6 were frequently found, against Ad 7 more rarely, whereas one serum reacted with each Ad 3, 4, 18, 31, and 37 and none with all other types. A significant association of positive reactions against several or all of Ad 1, 2, 5, and 6 was observed in neutralization, but not in hemagglutination inhibition, probably due to a subgenus-specific antibody response. The titer of neutralizing antibodies in human gammaglobulin was determined as an estimate for the prevalence of Ad 1 to 39 in the general population.