U.S. Investigates Death of Five Children from Hepatitis of Unknown Origin

These are cases of severe liver inflammation that are also of concern in Europe, where numerous incidents were detected, while scientists around the world seek to detect their origin. Jay Butler, deputy director for infectious diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said at a press conference that “Vaccination against Covid-19 is not the cause” of this disease, which in the United States affects children with an average age of 2 years, age group not suitable for immunization against the SARS-CoV 2 virus. However, it is not ruled out as a possible cause of coronavirus infection, although health authorities privilege the track of a type of adenovirus, a fairly frequent virus but which until now was not known to cause hepatitis in healthy children, the AFP news agency reported. More than half of the children with this hepatitis in the United States tested positive for the so-called “type 41” adenovirus, until now best known for causing gastroenteritis. This adenovirus was also detected in numerous affected children outside the United States.
In Argentina, the Ministry of Health said Thursday it is investigating eight possible cases of severe hepatitis of unknown origin. One hypothesis is that the reaction to this adenovirus may be disturbed by another factor, such as Covid-19 infection or environmental factors, such as contact with animals or a toxin.” Investigators here and around the world are working hard to determine the cause,” Butler said. In that scenario, doctors advise parents to be vigilant for symptoms such as vomiting, dark urine, light stools or jaundice and contact a doctor in case of suspicion. Two weeks ago, the CDC issued a health alert for doctors to report to authorities any suspected cases of hepatitis of unknown origin. The 109 cases detected in the United States occurred during the past seven months and 14% of affected children had to undergo a liver transplant, Butler said. Although 90% of the children had to be hospitalized, most were cured. Butler also said that the number of pediatric visits to the emergency room for hepatitis is not unusually high in the United States, unlike in the United Kingdom, where about 163 cases were counted, British health authorities announced yesterday.

Original source in Spanish