Causes of Common Cold

There are over 200 viruses known to be causes of common cold. Rhinoviruses are the causes of the common cold in an estimated 30 to 35 percent of all adults. Other viruses, such as adenovirus and orthomyxovirus, while causes of common cold, also cause more serious conditions. The causes of the common cold in 30 to 50 percent of all adult colds remain unidentified, although they are presumed to be viral in nature. Things like the weather or being too cold or too warm are not causes of the common cold.

 

Causes of Common Cold: An Introduction

The common cold is caused by a virus. More than 200 different viruses are known to cause the common cold. Some, such as the rhinovirus, seldom produce serious illnesses. Others, such as parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial virus, produce only mild infections in adults, but can cause severe lower respiratory infections in young children.
 

Causes of Common Cold: Rhinovirus

Rhinoviruses (from the Greek word rhin, meaning "nose") are the causes of the common cold in an estimated 30 to 35 percent of all adults, and are most active in early fall, spring, and summer. More than 110 distinct rhinovirus types have been identified. These agents grow best at temperatures of about 91 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature inside the human nose.
 

Causes of Common Cold: Coronavirus

Coronaviruses also cause a large percentage of all adult colds. They bring on colds primarily in the winter and early spring. Of the more than 30 types of coronaviruses, only 3 or 4 infect humans. The importance of coronaviruses as a cause of common colds is hard to assess, because, unlike rhinoviruses, they are difficult to grow in the laboratory.
 

Causes of Common Cold: Other Viruses

Approximately 10 to 15 percent of all adult colds are caused by viruses also responsible for other, more severe, illnesses, such as:
 
  • Adenoviruses
  • Coxsackieviruses
  • Echoviruses
  • Orthomyxoviruses (including influenza A and B viruses, which cause flu)
  • Paramyxoviruses (including several parainfluenza viruses)
  • Respiratory syncytial virus
  • Enteroviruses.
     
(Causes of Common Cold Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD