Several severe cases of hepatitis in children reported in the United States have caused great concern to health officials and parents, and the country’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has ruled out Covid-19 as a factor in these cases.
Nine severe cases of hepatitis in children were reported in Alabama between October 2021 and February 2022, seven girls and two boys aged 1 month to 6 years, Xinhua reported.
These cases were the first to draw attention to liver disease in children in the United States.
All of the nine whole blood samples from children tested positive for adenovirus. None of them had a history of Covid-19 infection or received a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the latest CDC report.
Prior to admission, some children reported vomiting, diarrhea, and upper respiratory symptoms. On admission, some had scleral jaundice, hepatomegaly, jaundice, and encephalopathy, according to the CDC.
Three of the children suffered from liver failure and two needed a liver transplant. They have either recovered or are recovering.
All patients tested negative for hepatitis A, B, and C viruses. Several other causes of pediatric hepatitis and infections were also ruled out, including autoimmune hepatitis, Wilson’s disease, bacteremia, and urinary tract infections, according to the CDC.
The CDC said adenovirus may be the cause of these reported cases, but other potential environmental factors and the situation are still being investigated.
Nearly a dozen other cases are being investigated in eight other states: one in Delaware, another in Louisiana, three in Illinois, two in North Carolina and four in Wisconsin, according to a NBC News report.
The Tennessee Department of Health said there were six cases. Georgia and New York’s state health departments have also said they are investigating a “handful” of potential cases.
The group of cases, together with recently identified possible cases in Europe, suggests that adenovirus should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute hepatitis of unknown etiology in children, according to the CDC.
Adenovirus type 41 is spread mainly by the faecal-oral route and mainly affects the intestines. This is a common cause of pediatric acute gastroenteritis, usually with diarrhea, vomiting and fever, often accompanied by respiratory symptoms, the CDC said.
Adenovirus is recognized as a cause of hepatitis in immunocompromised children and may be an “unrecognized” factor in liver damage in healthy children, the CDC said.
The agency monitors the situation closely to understand the possible cause of the disease and to identify potential efforts to prevent or mitigate the disease.
The World Health Organization has warned doctors around the world to be vigilant about such unusual cases of hepatitis.
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