CDC warns nation after 'cluster of children' contracts Hepatitis

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday issued a health alert and advisory warning of child infections with Hepatitis and adenovirus.

According to the agency, an Alabama children's hospital admitted nine patients of interest from October 2021 to February 2022. Of the first five, all had significant liver injuries and tested positive for adenovirus. None had COVID-19. The other four also had both Hepatitis and adenovirus. The CDC is currently investigating a link between the two.

"This health advisory serves to notify U.S. clinicians who may encounter pediatric patients with hepatitis of unknown etiology to consider adenovirus testing and to elicit reporting of such cases to state public health authorities and to CDC," the release stated.

"Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver that can be caused by viral infections, alcohol use, toxins, medications, and certain other medical conditions," according to the CDC.

Adenoviruses, the CDC says, "are doubled-stranded DNA viruses that spread by close personal contact, respiratory droplets, and fomites," of which over 50 known strands exist. The first five patients all had a type 41 infection though the release did not specify the variant of the other four.

In the alert, the agency advised adenovirus and blood testing before requesting that physicians report any similar cases of adenoviruses and Hepatitis in children.

Similar instances of Hepatitis have been documented in the United Kingdom, Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands, according to the Epoch Times.