According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, five children have died and 109 have been diagnosed with severe hepatitis in the United States.
Physicians and medical experts are still unsure how this puzzling illness spread across the globe. Researchers continue working to identify what is driving this unusual outbreak.
A growing number of unexplained hepatitis outbreaks worldwide have taken additional lives. In the U.S., 36 states reported at least 109 children who became ill, including five deaths. Twenty-two countries have reported 429 similar cases to the World Health Organization.
Epidemiologist Dr. John Brownstein of Boston Children’s Hospital notes that no causal link has yet been established for the rise in cases. He suggests that a mix of pathogens and environmental exposures may be among several contributors to this health crisis. Some experts have also connected the issue to COVID-19, which continues to spread globally. Adenoviruses — typically responsible for mild flu, respiratory infections, and gastrointestinal illness — are considered the leading suspected cause of this rare outbreak.
More than 90% of the children were diagnosed and hospitalized, 14% needed organ transplants, and over half tested positive for adenovirus infection.
CDC officials reported earlier this month that most of the reported cases have recovered, and they advise parents to watch for these symptoms:
- fever
- fatigue
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- vomiting
- abdominal pain
- dark urine
- light-colored stools (poop)
- joint pain
- jaundice (yellowing of the skin)
Above all, if you are worried about your child’s illness, schedule a visit with their pediatrician or head to your local urgent care or emergency department for a full evaluation.