CDC issues rare liver damage

2022 - 4 - 22

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The New York Times"

C.D.C. Issues Alert Over Cluster of Hepatitis Cases in Children (The New York Times)

Alabama has reported that nine children under 10 had the rare condition, and a few suffered liver failure. Similar cases among children were reported in ...

Although it is possible that an adenovirus is a cause, the connection remains unproven. So far, there is no clear connection to the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, experts said. Even serious cases of hepatitis are treatable, he added. The C.D.C. has ruled out some common causes of liver inflammation, including the hepatitis A, B and C viruses, in the Alabama cases, the agency said in a statement on Thursday. The Alabama Department of Public Health has recorded nine unexplained cases of hepatitis in otherwise healthy children under the age of 10 that occurred between last October and February. None of the children died, but several developed liver failure and two required liver transplants. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that has a wide range of causes, including viruses, chemical exposures, some medications and other medical conditions.

CDC alert for severe hepatitis in kids: What parents need to know (Today.com)

The CDC issued a health advisory about a cluster of cases of unusual, severe hepatitis resulting in liver damage in kids in Alabama.

Parents should be alert to the signs of hepatitis and should contact their healthcare professional if they are concerned." “We also need to understand why some children (with the adenovirus) go on to develop hepatitis and some children do not.” Public health officials still need time to understand the root of these illnesses. To differentiate between adenovirus symptoms and hepatitis symptoms, parents should keep an eye on sick children and look out for severe abdominal pain, fever, dark-colored urine or light-colored stools. “Adenovirus 41 is the prime suspect but has not yet been the proven cause of this syndrome,” he said. “At this time, practicing good healthy habits, such as washing or sanitizing hands frequently, staying home when you are ill, and staying away from sick people is the best method for prevention,” Fullmer said. Parents should be on the lookout for symptoms, as well. All of the nine children in Alabama, between 1 and 6 in age, became ill enough to merit hospitalization, with three developing acute liver failure and two requiring liver transplants. Israel added that because adenoviruses have not commonly caused hepatitis in healthy children before now, "other sources are still being sought" for the cause. “Because of this advisory, I will be doing so now.” “When I treat hepatitis, I don’t typically test bloodwork for adenoviruses,” Hill said. The cluster in Alabama "involved previously healthy children," explained Dr. Michael Fullmer, a pediatrician at Utah Valley Pediatrics in Saratoga Springs, Utah.

CDC Issues Alert Over Hepatitis Cases in Children Causing Rare ... (Prevention.com)

The CDC issued a health advisory over a severe outbreak of hepatitis in children, potentially linked to adenovirus. Cases in the U.S. and Europe cause ...

In short, Dr. Bucuvalas says it’s important for healthcare professionals to work collaboratively and continue to report cases. The CDC is working with healthcare professionals to investigate the cluster of diagnoses and the potential link to adenovirus (common double-stranded DNA viruses that can cause an array of symptoms). This may have always been here and we never noticed it before,” he suggests. According to the CDC statement, all children were previously healthy and none had COVID-19. He notes that there is no consensus at this time as to what is causing this outbreak. After more research, the Alabama hospital identified four more children with hepatitis and adenovirus infections from October 2021 through February 2022.

CDC issues alert for rare liver damage in children (WFLA)

Doctors should be on the lookout for unusual cases of severe hepatitis in young children. Cases have been reported in Alabama and North Carolina.

Mysterious cases of hepatitis are 'very rare', leading scientists say (Daily Mail)

Dr Aaron Milstone, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at John Hopkins medical school, said it was 'too early to worry at this point'.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. In its alert yesterday the CDC said it was 'asking all physicians to be on the lookout for symptoms and report any suspected cases of hepatitis of unknown origin.' When hepatitis is spread by a virus, it's usually caused by consuming food and drink contaminated with the faeces of an infected person or blood-to-blood or sexual contact. It was first alerted to the outbreak when five children were admitted to a children's hospital in Alabama with the condition in October. 'Again, in the era of Covid one wants to make sure that people don't panic and think this is going to be the next pandemic of hepatitis,' he said. 'The CDC can issue an alert when there is a rare disease to help understand the extent of the problem and help identify the source or common exposure,' he said. When hepatitis is spread by a virus, it's usually caused by consuming food and drink contaminated with the faeces of an infected person or blood-to-blood or sexual contact. The cases of the inflammatory liver condition were all in children under the age of six, with two leading to liver transplants. They can also include muscle and joint pain, a high temperature, feeling and being sick and being unusually tired all of the time. Mysterious cases of hepatitis have been detected in nine children in Alabama since October, with adenoviruses - which normally trigger colds - thought to be the cause (stock image) About 70 percent of patients in the U.S. have tested positive for them, while none have tested positive for hepatitis viruses A, B and C. Sick children are also being reported in the UK, Ireland, Israel, Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain — with global cases as part of this outbreak totaling more than 100.

What Is Causing Mystery Liver Damage in Alabama Children? (Newsweek)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has notified clinicians and public health authorities to be alert for children with liver damage due to ...

Milstone offered advice to parents concerned about these cases of hepatitis and adenoviruses and liver damage in children. A further 64 cases were identified in the U.K. following further investigation. As with the nine U.S. cases, the World Health Organization ( WHO) reported that the children in question tested negative for hepatitis A, B, and C. The alert comes after a cluster of children in Alabama were identified with hepatitis and adenovirus infection. Dr. Aaron Milstone is a professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who specializes in treating infectious diseases in children. The CDC says hepatitis is inflammation of the liver that can be caused by viral infections, alcohol use, toxins, medications, and certain other medical conditions.

CDC issues nationwide alert about mysterious hepatitis cases in kids (The Washington Post)

Federal health officials and the Alabama Department of Public Health are investigating nine cases of hepatitis in children 1 to 6 years old who were ...

This year, there have been four patients and two of those patients also had coronavirus, Fischer said. Amy Edwards, a pediatric infectious-disease specialist at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, said that with mild cases of hepatitis parents and children may not even know there is an issue and it will resolve itself. None of the children in the U.K., who were all under age 10, had been vaccinated against coronavirus, according to the U.K. Health Security Agency. They have also been ruled out in the U.K. children, authorities there said. After further investigation, the hospital identified four more cases, all of whom had liver injury and adenovirus infection. Hepatitis can be triggered by a variety of factors, from toxic chemicals to autoimmune disorders and viruses that cause chickenpox and the common cold. “If it’s a bad case, there will be symptoms.” Adenoviruses most commonly cause respiratory illnesses, but they can also cause inflammation of the stomach. North Carolina also had two cases in school-age children, neither of whom needed a liver transplant and subsequently recovered, STAT reported. Five children were admitted to a children’s hospital with significant liver injury, including some with acute liver failure. The children were from across the state and officials have found no epidemiological link connecting them. Several of the U.K. patients also had coronavirus infections, the WHO said.