CDC investigating 109 cases of hepatitis in children

Five deaths also part of probe in 25 states, territories

The deaths of five children and what may be an unusual group of more than 100 hepatitis cases in young children in the United States are under investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency said Friday.

The CDC said it was examining cases involving 109 children in 25 states and territories who had or have what the agency is calling “hepatitis of unknown cause.”

Dr. Jay Butler, deputy director for infectious diseases at the CDC, said most of the children had fully recovered.

But more than 90 percent were hospitalized, 14 percent received liver transplants and more than half had adenovirus infections, he said.

The CDC and experts overseas are exploring whether a type of adenovirus, a common virus that causes intestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, may be a factor in these cases.

But the agency has not determined a cause for the cases or a common link among all of them, and it cautioned against drawing conclusions.

In a news briefing Friday, Butler called it “an evolving situation.” Later, he added, “It’s important to remember that severe hepatitis in children is rare even with the potential increase in cases that we’re reporting today.”

Hepatitis and liver failure are unusual occurrences in young children, especially in otherwise healthy children, and so far, the actual number of hepatitis cases in the United States is no more than the number usually seen.

The agency did not provide details about the children who died or where those deaths occurred.

Hepatitis, a liver infection, typically occurs in adults and can be caused by viruses — which respond to treatment with drugs — or from alcoholism, from some medications, or from autoimmune conditions. Symptoms include yellowing skin and eyes, nausea and abdominal pain.

Butler also said there was no evidence so far that either a COVID-19 infection or a COVID-19 vaccine was linked to the U.S. cases.

Also, the World Health Organization said that the vast majority of children had not been vaccinated in the cases it had reviewed.

The alarm began two weeks ago when the CDC issued an alert, citing nine hepatitis cases among young children in Alabama that began last fall and continued into this year.

All had evidence of an adenovirus infection. Their median age was 2.

The problem for the CDC is to determine if the adenovirus is a cause or an innocent bystander, Butler said.

Doctors do not normally test children for adenovirus infections which makes it difficult to untangle causes and effects.

He urged doctors to consider testing for adenovirus if children were ill with certain symptoms.