What causes acute rhinitis?

Acute rhinitis is often viral, frequently related to the common cold. Colds are very contagious, and are often passed from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes, sending the virus into the air where it is breathed in by someone else. Also, the virus can be present on the hands of an infected person and on objects he or she has touched. Flu viruses, adenovirus, and other viruses may also cause acute rhinitis. Acute rhinitis may also be caused by an allergen. When a person breathes in an allergen, the body's immune system may react to it, causing a stuffy or runny nose.