CDC has issued a new hepatitis alert telling doctors to take LIVER SAMPLES from seriously ill children –

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday issued a new hepatitis alert telling doctors to take liver samples from the sickest patients after five children in the US died from the disease and 15 needed liver transplants.

This is because scientists are currently confused about the cause of the mysterious illness, with adenovirus, which can cause the common cold, is the prime suspect.

In its second warning in three weeks, the CDC recommended that doctors expand their search for adenovirus infection by taking organ samples “if any”, as well as collecting stool, throat and blood samples for adenovirus testing.

Previously, the agency had recommended sampling only one of these, excluding the liver, to screen for the little-known virus.

Earlier this week, Hawaii and Massachusetts became the 25th and 26th states to report mysterious suspected cases of childhood hepatitis.

The United States now has more than 100 suspected or confirmed cases and the highest death rate in the world after Indonesia, which has reported three deaths.

Around 300 cases of mystery hepatitis have been observed in children worldwide so far, mostly in the UK (160) and the USA, but this may be because countries have better surveillance systems.

Scientists are puzzled as to what caused the outbreak, but the main theory is that it was caused by adenovirus, which most, if not all, patients tested positive.

Other hypotheses that have been explored include that the blockages weaken children’s immunity or may be caused by a previous Covid infection or even exposure to a dog.

The CDC said in In Update it’s looking for “some kind of relationship” between adenovirus infections and hepatitis — aimed at doctors.

However, he added that other causes of the disease were not excluded.

Cases under investigation include historical cases dating back to October 2021 and newly identified cases.

Massachusetts said yesterday that it is investigating two cases of childhood hepatitis, both of which tested negative for adenovirus.

They did not disclose the children’s condition or when suspected infections occurred.

Hawaii also reported its first case of inflammatory liver disease yesterday, saying the boy was under 10 years old and was hospitalized for several days in late April with abdominal pain and fever.

Hawaii’s Department of Health announced the matter late Monday, saying, “A full medical examination has been performed and multiple lab test results have been released.

“At this point, no cause has been identified. “DOH is working with the CDC to determine the cause of the hepatitis case.”

Cases of mysterious hepatitis have been discovered in 26 states, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Carolina. Carolina Dakota, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.

At least one case has also been reported in the Puerto Rico region.

The CDC refused to disclose the whereabouts of the five Americans, citing “confidentiality concerns.”

But there was at least one in Wisconsin, where the Department of Health confirmed it was investigating a case of death related to the disease last month.

At a press conference last week, CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases, Dr. Jay Butler said most of the teens “recover completely” from the disease.

He said scientists are still investigating cases to determine a cause, but adenoviruses are “at the top of the list.”

Butler added that it’s unclear whether an adenovirus infection alone causes the disease, or whether it’s related to an immune response to a particular strain or something to which children are exposed.

However, he noted that the CDC did not record many more cases of childhood hepatitis than expected for this time of year.

“I think we’re seriously investigating whether this has been low for several years and we haven’t documented that yet,” he said.

Last week, the World Health Organization said it was investigating 50 possible causes of the disease.

Hepatitis is normally rare in children, but earlier this year the UK raised the alarm of a mysterious epidemic in children after discovering more cases than normally expected in January.

Other countries, where the US reported the first nine cases in Alabama last month, soon followed. Each of these children needed hospital care.

CDC leaders admitted they were aware of the cases, but were not initially alarmed as it seemed like an isolated incident.

They have since issued a health statement asking all states with mysterious cases of hepatitis to report them.

But top experts fear that health officials won’t be able to understand the cause of the outbreak for at least two months.

Parents were told that, despite the density of cases, their child’s risk of developing hepatitis was “extremely low.”

They are advised to heed the main warning signs, but have been told that their child’s risk of developing hepatitis is very low.

Jaundice – yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes – is the most common symptom, followed by vomiting and pale stools.

Dr. Meera Chand, Director of Emerging Infections at the UK Health Safety Agency, said: “It is important for families to know that the chances of their child developing hepatitis are extremely low.

“However, we remind everyone to be alert for signs of hepatitis – especially jaundice, a yellow tint to the whites of the eyes – and to talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

“Our studies continue to suggest an association with adenovirus, and our studies are now rigorously testing this association.

“We are also examining other contributions, including previous SARS-COV-2, and working closely with the NHS and academic partners to understand the mechanism of liver damage in affected children.”

Most cases have been identified in the UK (163) and the USA (109), which have some of the strongest surveillance systems.

The status of hepatic inflammation has been reported in Spain (22), Israel (12), Italy (9) and Denmark (6), among others.