More Children with Acute Hepatitis Reported

The U.S. National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases today reported five additional children with Acute Hepatitis of Unknown Etiology were reported over the past month.

Investigators are examining a possible relationship to adenovirus type 41 infection, which is not a common cause of hepatitis in otherwise healthy children.

'While rare, children can still have serious hepatitis, and we don't always know the cause. That's why investigators continue to look at possible causes and investigate,' wrote the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The U.S. CDC is looking broadly, including hepatitis cases of unknown origin in children under ten years of age.

Since October 1, 2021, the number of persons under investigation (PUI) has reached 389 as of February 15, 2023.

Among the reported PUIs, about 90% required hospitalization, a few needed a liver transplant, and over ten died.

The World Health Organization, the U.K., Europe, and Canada have recently reported acute liver inflammation infections of unknown etiology among children.