Childhood Hepatitis Cases Raise Concerns

A day later, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said it was investigating nine cases of hepatitis in the state, several of which were reported in the Omaha metro area.

Also, the North Dakota Department of Health announced it was investigating a suspected case of child hepatitis. The child was reported to be recuperating at home after a brief hospitalization.

These cases appear to be part of a larger outbreak across the country. According to NPR late last week, more than 100 cases had been suspected in 25 U.S. states and territories, with five deaths being reported. Also, as hepatitis involves an inflammation of the liver, 14% of the cases wound up needing liver transplants.

This may be part of a recent global rise in hepatitis cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). While hepatitis cases in children do happen, it is considered rare.

This outbreak, which was first detected last fall, is creating a lot of questions but finding few answers.

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the first questions have concerned possible connections with the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers have noted that almost all of the children affected so far apparently did not test positive for COVID-19 — or at least weren’t diagnosed with it — and they were too young for the COVID vaccine. However, with the investigation ongoing, the link between the hepatitis outbreak and COVID cannot be completely dismissed, Time magazine reported.

Meanwhile, the CDC reported that more than half of the kids had a confirmed adenovirus infection. Adenoviruses are linked with respiratory maladies such as the common cold, bronchitis and pneumonia. In children, adenoviruses can also cause infections in the intestinal tract.

The mystery has created some intriguing theories. For instance, Time magazine reported, “One possible reason for these liver-inflammation cases currently under investigation is that lower circulating levels of adenovirus during pandemic lockdowns may have left children’s immune systems unprimed for how to react to the common virus. That, in turn, may be enabling adenovirus infections to overrun children’s immune systems — though exactly why that would result in liver disease remains unknown.”

For now, the mystery remains just that.

And while it’s no reason to panic, it’s never a bad idea to be watching for signs for hepatitis symptoms in children. These include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, darkened urine, yellowing of the skin or eyes, fever and fatigue.

It may be yet another worry for a pandemic-fatigued populace, but vigilance always remains the best defense, especially until more is known.

kmh