The US investigates the case of 5 deaths related to mysterious hepatitis in children

“Investigators here as well as abroad and globally are working hard to determine the cause,” said Jay Butler, deputy director for infectious diseases at CDC US, said.

About mysterious hepatitis in children, 90% of cases require hospitalization, with 14% needing a liver transplant. Most recover completely.

The US CDC issued a health alert last week to alert doctors and public health authorities to watch out for similar cases and began reviewing case histories from October 1, 2021, AFP reported. .

More than half of all cases of mysterious hepatitis in children tested positive for adenovirus 41 – a virus commonly associated with gastroenteritis, not hepatitis, in otherwise healthy children.

“Due to its association with adenovirus, I would call it the top virus on the list of viruses of interest. But we don’t know if it’s the adenovirus that is causing these cases, or if there’s an immune response to this particular strain of adenovirus,” Butler said.

Environmental factors are also being examined such as the presence of animals in the home, as well as whether other pathogens, such as COVID-19, may play a role.

Adenovirus cases can also flare up again after COVID-19 lockdowns kept the virus from spreading for several years, or the adenovirus may have evolved into a newer, more deadly strain.

The US CDC confirms that it does not believe that the COVID-19 vaccine is Causes of mysterious hepatitis in children.

The nine mysterious cases of hepatitis in children in the state of Alabama under investigation are children with an average age of 2 years old, too young to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.