A strain of the common cold virus has mutated into something less common, but more deadly. The virus has claimed 10 lives in the US within the last 18 months.

This mutant strain has led to 140 illnesses across four states, with one of the largest outbreaks claiming a 19-year old in Texas (Paige Renee Villers, seen in the image).

The earliest case of the strain was traced to an infant who died 12 days after being born. It was found that the infant was infected with a variant of the Adenovirus 14 strain, which hospitalized 106 trainees in Lackland earlier this year, with 5 in intensive care.

The Adenovirus 14 was first identified in 1955 although it was quite rare at the time. It's still not known what caused the mutation or what caused the outbreaks.

Like the common cold, there is no good antiviral medication for this strain. However, the CDC doesn't believe the new strain is any cause for alarm for the general public. Col. Art Brown, an Army physician, says that a vaccine will be developed if the problem persists.