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CDC investigating wave of hepatitis cases in kids — Analysis

Nearly 90% of the infected patients were hospitalized and 14% had to have liver transplants.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that it’s looking into 109 cases of severe hepatitis in young children, and cannot yet explain the outbreak. These cases required 90% hospitalization, five of them fatal. Similar outbreaks were reported elsewhere in the US and Europe. 

Half of the children affected also had adenovirus infections, although the CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases, Jay Butler, told reporters on Thursday that the agency could not pin down the adenovirus as the actual cause. Adenoviruses typically cause mild cold- or flu-like symptoms, but rarely cause hepatitis in children, except in some cases where the child’s immune system is already compromised.

“We also don’t know yet what role other factors may play, such as environmental exposures, medications, or other infections that the children might have,”Butler continued by claiming that Covid-19 vaccination didn’t cause the diseases, because most children affected had not been vaccinated.

Hepatitis of ‘unknown origins’ spreads

One in four children with the disease required liver transplants. Five children died from the illness.

Although hepatitis has been affecting children in all 25 states in the US, Alabama was the first to notice something unusual last month. The CDC found nine cases in the state of Alabama of hepatitis among children between the ages of one and six. Children who had been afflicted by vomiting, diarrhea, upper respiratory symptoms and other ailments, were found to have fallen ill in the period of October 2021 through February 2022.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control announced that last month it would be tracking Atlantic cases. “severe acute hepatitis”In the UK, Spain Spain Spain Portugal, Denmark Ireland Ireland the Netherlands, Ireland and the Netherlands. Like in the US the victims were children, so the ECDC declared: “no link to the Covid-19 vaccine was identified.”

The World Health Organization (WHO), has documented cases in all the countries mentioned, including Spain, Israel and Italy. “at least 169 cases”Updated April 23rd, 2009. The WHO reported that patients worldwide range from one month old to sixteen years of age, with 10% requiring liver transplants.

Furthermore, no common patterns regarding “food, drink and personal habits”Infected children were also observed.

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The WHO and the CDC have not recommended public health measures to combat the spread of the disease.

“We know this update may be of concern, especially to parents and guardians of young children. It’s important to remember that severe hepatitis in children is rare,”On Thursday, Butler advised reporters that parents should ensure children wash their hands regularly and to avoid getting sick. 

The WHO’s “priority is to determine the cause of these cases to further refine control and prevention actions,”According to the organisation.

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