U.S. health officials have issued a nationwide alert, warning doctors to be on the lookout for signs of pediatric hepatitis, possibly linked to the common cold virus, as part of research into serious liver inflammation of unknown origin in young children.
The warning was issued following studies of hepatitis cases in young children in the US and Europe.
In some cases, a cold virus was detected.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that they are working with peers in Europe to understand the cause of the inflammation. The common cold virus known as adenovirus has been confirmed in some, if not all, cases.
Health officials in the UK said they had diagnosed a total of 108 cases of pediatric hepatitis, with some cases severe enough to require a liver transplant.
In the US warning, doctors were asked to report suspected cases of disease to state and local health departments in their areas.
What are the symptoms?
The warning also advised young patients showing signs of the disease to be tested for adenovirus. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, pale stools, joint pain, and jaundice.
The warning comes after the Alabama Department of Public Health and the CDC investigated nine cases of hepatitis of unknown origin in previously healthy children ages 1 to 6 years old.
The first case was detected in Alabama last October.
The first such cases in the US were detected in October 2021 at a children’s hospital in Alabama. The hospital treated five young patients with severe liver damage of unknown cause, some of whom suffered from acute liver failure. These children tested positive for adenovirus.
The more common forms of liver disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, were excluded.
A review of hospital records identified four additional cases, all with liver damage and adenovirus infection.
The CDC works with state health departments to identify cases in the US. While the prevailing theory is that the cases were caused by a particular type of adenovirus, health officials are considering other possible factors.