Over the past several weeks, two University of Wisconsin Oshkosh students have had confirmed cases of adenovirus.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) issued a press release Friday indicating that three UW System campuses have confirmed cases of the common respiratory illness. The campuses include UW Oshkosh, UW-La Crosse and UW-Madison.

The number of cases on the Oshkosh campus is not considered an outbreak. Both of the UWO students have recovered and health officials do not expect the cases of adenovirus to rise.

UW Oshkosh volunteers as a surveillance site to help DHS track influenza in the state, said Shawn Ekstrom, senior physician with UWO’s Student Health Center.

The two Oshkosh campus cases of adenovirus were discovered as part of this monitoring.

“Adenovirus infection is easily spread, which is why we tend to see it in places where large groups gather, like college dormitories and classrooms,” said State Health Officer Jeanne Ayers. “While symptoms vary, the virus can be especially hard on people with weakened immune systems or who have lung or heart problems.”

There are a number of ways someone can get adenovirus, including:

• Breathing in adenovirus from the air after someone with the infection has sneezed or coughed.
• Touching or shaking hands with someone with the virus, then touching your hands to your mouth, nose or eyes.
• Touching surfaces like a door knob, counter top or phone with the virus on it, then touching your hands to mouth, nose or eyes.
• Having contact with feces.
• Having contact with water that has the virus in it, such as a swimming pool.

Symptoms can include:

• Respiratory illness; this can range from cold and flu-like symptoms to bronchitis and pneumonia
• Diarrhea
• Pink eye
• In rare cases, inflammation of the bladder or severe neurological disease

Antibiotics do not work on the virus. People with symptoms should see a doctor, stay home from work and school, and practice good health hygiene to avoid spreading adenovirus to others. People who have had the virus but no longer have symptoms could still spread it, so it’s important to be vigilant about washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes.