Human adenoviruses cause a wide range of infections with a spectrum of clinical manifestations. These include infections of the gastrointestinal tract (gastroenteritis), the respiratory tract (acute respiratory diseases, pneumonia, pharyngoconjunctival fever), the urinary tract (cervicitis, urethritis, haemorrhagic cystitis) and the eyes (epidemic keratoconjunctivitis, also known as “shipyard eye”; pharyngoconjunctival fever, also known as “swimming pool conjunctivitis”). Different serotypes are associated with specifi c illnesses; for example, types 40 and 41 are the main causes of enteric illness. Adenoviruses are an important source of childhood gastroenteritis. In general, infants and children are most susceptible to adenovirus infections, and many infections are asymptomatic. High attack rates in outbreaks imply that infecting doses are low.