The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on April 25 issued an alert for doctors and health care providers to be aware of a possible link between hepatitis in children and an adenovirus.
Adenoviruses are common viruses that can cause coldlike symptoms, bronchitis, diarrhea, pink eye and more. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can lead to liver failure in some cases. The liver’s role is to filter blood, help fight infections and other important functions.
Because adenoviruses aren’t known to cause hepatitis in otherwise healthy children who aren’t immunocompromised, the CDC is asking public health authorities to report all hepatitis cases with unknown causes to their local and state health departments.
Is there a hepatitis outbreak in children?
No, the CDC didn’t declare an outbreak or public health emergency.
Nine children ranging in age from 1 to 6 years old who were treated at a hospital in Alabama were found to have hepatitis and also tested positive for an adenovirus (some tested positive specifically for adenovirus type 41).
No children died, but some suffered liver failure. The cases were reported between October 2021 and February 2022.
“CDC is working with state health departments to see if there are additional US cases, and what may be causing these cases,” the agency said in a statement Thursday.
“At this time, we believe adenovirus may be the cause for these reported cases, but investigators are still learning more — including ruling out other possible causes and identifying other possible contributing factors.”
What are the symptoms of hepatitis? Are there vaccines?
Hepatitis can have different causes, including drug use, alcohol use or even certain medical conditions. It can also be caused by a virus; the most common types of viral hepatitis in the US are hepatitis A, B and C. The CDC has ruled out all three of these types of hepatitis in the pediatric cases it announced.
Some cases of hepatitis are acute (they don’t last more than six months) while others are chronic (lasting more than six months). Hepatitis C, which is spread through blood contact, causes chronic liver infection in 75 to 85% of patients, according to the Cleveland Clinic. There are vaccines for hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
The CDC said it’s asking parents and caregivers to be aware of the symptoms of hepatitis and contact their health care provider with any concerns.
Some symptoms of hepatitis include:
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Dark urine or light-colored stool
- Joint pain
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
