US Hepatitis Outbreak: CDC Seeks Answers on Unexplained Pediatric Disease That Spreads in 36 States, Kills 6 Minors

Infectious disease specialists are trying to uncover answers after a hepatitis outbreak killed six youngsters.

Last Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention verified the sixth fatality. Over the last seven months, the CDC said that the outbreak of the liver illness had spread to 180 documented juvenile cases across 36 states and territories.

CDC Announces New death in Mysterious Child Hepatitis

The number of cases climbed by 71 in two weeks, although the CDC stated that the majority of those were retrospective individuals who were sick weeks or months before. The CDC noted in a statement that not all are recent, and some may not be related to the present inquiry. According to the organization, tests ruled out many viruses that typically cause hepatitis.

At a press conference, Jay Butler, the CDC's deputy director for infectious diseases, stated that no common exposures or other patterns had been detected. Laboratory studies are performed to examine the viral genome and other possible pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

The CDC investigated any link between the hepatitis outbreak and the virus that has killed one million Americans. Melissa Nolan, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health, told USA TODAY that the incident is virtually definitely unrelated to COVID-19 immunizations.

According to the most recent data, the United States has reported the most deaths of any nation in the world, with six other fatalities documented in Indonesia, Ireland, and Palestine, respectively. A total of 180 hepatitis cases have also been identified throughout 35 states, necessitating 15 liver transplants.

Cases have also been recorded in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain, and the Netherlands, while advisory bodies issued warnings last month. Experts from the relevant health departments are puzzled about what is causing the increase in instances. However, there is no relationship between the coronavirus vaccination and the increase in hepatitis cases. The majority of children screened with hepatitis were under the age of five and so had not received the vaccination.

Doctors have all but ruled out suggestions that a viral mutation or exposure to pet dogs is to blame for the sickness. Hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and E have all been ruled out as potential causes. Hepatitis is a liver infection that causes diarrhea, stomach discomfort, nausea, and vomiting. Doctors around the country have been instructed to collect liver samples from the sickest hepatitis patients.

Scientists Hint at Potential Leading Cause of Hepatitis Outbreak

The CDC recommends taking these, as well as feces, throat, and blood samples, to test for adenovirus. According to scientists, the main cause of the outbreak is most likely adenovirus subtype 41, adenoviruses spread through close touch. They can also cause gastrointestinal and neurological problems, The Sun reported.

Lockdowns, according to academics, are a factor in the outbreak since they inhibited viral movement and may have made youngsters more sensitive to typically mild diseases. Prof Will Irving, a virologist at the University of Nottingham, argued that diminishing incidence would hint to the underlying cause being behavioral changes that the entire community went through during the pandemic. However, the researchers added that experts are still investigating what is causing the outbreak.

Top specialists believe it will take months for health officials to figure out what's causing the strange trend, which has afflicted at least 520 youngsters globally since March. The UKHSA issued an alert last week after it was suggested that dogs were implicated in the outbreak.

It examined questionnaire responses from impacted households and discovered that 70% - 64 of 92 respondents - owned or had been exposed to a dog. The CDC has said that environmental triggers are currently being investigated as potential causes of the diseases. Pollution or exposure to specific pharmaceuticals or chemicals might be examples, according to Daily Mail.