- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now investigating 180 cases of children who suddenly developed severe hepatitis across 36 states and territories, an increase of 71 cases since the public health agency’s last update earlier this month.
- The CDC said the vast majority are not new cases of hepatitis. Instead, the number of patients under investigation has increased as the agency looks more closely at data from October of last year.
- Also Read: NanoViricides Starts Drug Development Program For Recent Cases Of Unexplained Pediatric Hepatitis.
- The cases the CDC is investigating are unusual because the children have not tested positive for those viruses, and they have suffered severe symptoms, with 9% requiring liver transplants.
- The CDC has found at least five deaths, although no fatalities have been reported since February.
- Adenovirus infection is being investigated as the possible cause, with nearly half the kids testing positive for the pathogen.
- The CDC also is conducting lab tests to see if the Covid virus might also be a possible cause, though the children in the initial cluster in Alabama did not have the coronavirus.
