Adenovirus role suspected in third-grader's death

A virus that causes the common cold may have contributed to the death of a third-grade student from an East Baltimore elementary school over the Thanksgiving holiday, city health officials said.

The student at Dr. Bernard Harris Sr. Elementary had asthma, and his condition may have been made worse by the adenovirus, which can occasionally lead to serious illnesses among very young children or people with chronic conditions, according to letters the school and health department sent home to parents Monday.