Nine serious cases of hepatitis in children were reported in Alabama from October 2021 to February 2022, seven girls and two boys – aged 1 month to 6 years. These cases were the first to draw attention to liver disease in children in the United States. All nine children’s whole blood samples tested positive for adenovirus. None of them had a history of COVID-19 infection, nor had they received the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a recent CDC report. Prior to admission, some children reported vomiting, diarrhea, and upper respiratory symptoms. At the time of admission, some had severe jaundice, hepatomegaly, jaundice and encephalopathy, according to the CDC. Three of the children suffered liver failure and two needed liver transplants. Either they have recovered or they are recovering. All patients tested negative for hepatitis A, B, and C viruses. Several other causes of childhood hepatitis and infections were also ruled out, such as autoimmune hepatitis, Wilson’s disease, bacteremia, and urinary tract infections, according to the CDC. The CDC said the adenovirus may be the cause of these reported cases, but other possible environmental and environmental factors are still being investigated. About a dozen other cases are now 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 NBC News. The Tennessee Department of Health says it has six cases. The state health services in Georgia and New York also said they were investigating “a handful” of possible cases. The group of cases, along with recently identified possible cases in Europe, suggest that the adenovirus should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute hepatitis of unknown etiology among children, according to the CDC. Adenovirus type 41 spreads mainly through the fecal-oral route and mainly affects the intestine. It is a common cause of childhood acute gastroenteritis, usually with diarrhea, vomiting and fever, often accompanied by respiratory symptoms, the CDC said. The adenovirus has been identified as a cause of hepatitis in immunocompromised children and may be an “under-recognized” factor that contributes to liver damage in healthy children, the CDC said. The service closely monitors the situation to understand the possible cause of the disease and to identify possible efforts to prevent or alleviate the disease. The World Health Organization has warned doctors around the world to be on the lookout for such unusual cases of hepatitis.
