Health chiefs announced Wednesday that 36 more children have fallen ill in the mysterious hepatitis epidemic, after six deaths were linked to the disease.
Along with Mississippi and Utah, the latest additions to the growing list, it brings the number of children affected by liver infection to 216 in 37 states.
No new deaths or liver transplants were reported in the past seven days, for a total of 14 and six, respectively, in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) weekly updates.
The agency did not disclose where the deaths occurred due to “privacy concerns,” but Wisconsin state health chiefs say at least one has been recorded.
Globally, the United States has the highest number of deaths and suspected cases recorded by any country, but this may be due to stronger surveillance there.
Indonesia reported five deaths in the epidemic, while both Palestine and Israel recorded one death each.
Scientists say it will take weeks for the cause of cases to emerge, but the CDC continues to consider an adenovirus infection, which can cause the common cold, as the most likely cause.
Experts warn that the epidemic may also be the result of weakened immunity due to blockages that damage people’s immunity.
The CDC now publishes weekly outbreaks about the number of suspected cases, liver transplants, and reported deaths.
Most of the cases are “historical” and have occurred in the seven months since October 2021, but are only now coming to light as doctors search for samples collected by mail from sick children.
The CDC said last week that there were no signs of an increase in cases in recent months.
A total of 37 states have now reported hepatitis outbreak cases. These are: Arkansas, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Carolina Dakota, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
The Puerto Rico region has also recorded at least one case of mysterious hepatitis.
Experts warn that quarantines mean the United States could enter a time when it’s hard to know what to expect from infectious diseases.
Dr. It is due to an older immunity, warned Marion Koopmans, head of the viroscience division at Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam STAT News.
He said blood tests on the children showed they were on a kind of “honeymoon of infection” with very few antibodies to normal diseases.
He added: “You really see that in the second year of the pandemic, children have much fewer antibodies to a number of common respiratory viruses.
“They’re just getting less exposure.”
The CDC said last week that an adenovirus infection, which can cause the common cold, is their main hypothesis for the cause of the disease, although they are still investigating the role of Covid infections.
They rejected nearly all theories that a mutation in the virus could cause illness or be caused by exposure to pets. There is no evidence that the Covid vaccine causes hepatitis.
The usual causes – hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses – are completely excluded.
Source: Daily Mail
I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.
