Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Alert Warns Of Puzzling Hepatitis Cluster In Young Kids
The Washington Post: CDC Issues Nationwide Alert About Mysterious Hepatitis Cases In Kids
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a nationwide health alert Thursday about an unusual cluster of serious hepatitis cases in young children for which the cause, or causes, is not known. Federal health officials and the Alabama Department of Public Health are investigating nine cases of hepatitis in children 1-to-6 years old who were hospitalized between October 2021 and February 2022 with significant liver injury. All of the children were previously healthy, officials said, and two required liver transplants. There are no reported deaths. CDC’s alert is to notify physicians and public health authorities nationwide to be on the lookout for symptoms and report suspected cases. (Sun and Cha, 4/21)
The New York Times: C.D.C. Issues Alert Over Cluster Of Hepatitis Cases In Children
Officials are investigating the possibility that an adenovirus, one of a group of common viruses that can cause cold-like symptoms, as well as gastroenteritis, pink eye and other ailments, may be responsible. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that has a wide range of causes, including viruses, chemical exposures, some medications and other medical conditions. (Anthes, 4/21)
Reuters: U.S. Warns Doctors To Look For Hepatitis In Children As Probe Widens
The first such U.S. cases were identified in October 2021 at a children’s hospital in Alabama that admitted five young patients with significant liver injury - including some with acute liver failure - of unknown cause. In those cases, the children tested positive for adenovirus. The more common forms of the liver disease - hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C - were ruled out. A review of hospital records identified four additional cases, all of whom had liver injury and adenovirus infection. Lab tests found that some of these children were infected with adenovirus type 41, which causes acute infection of the digestive system. The state has not found any new cases beyond the original cluster. (Steenhuysen, 4/21)
Stat: N.C. Is Second U.S. State To Report Unusual Cases Of Hepatitis In Kids
Health authorities in North Carolina say they are investigating two cases of hepatitis in young children, making the state the second to report cases that appear to be linked to an outbreak that is being seen in a growing number of countries. Bailey Pennington, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, told STAT of the cases in an email on Thursday, saying the state is both conducting surveillance for other possible cases and working with its poison control center and epidemiologists to try to determine the cause of the illnesses. (Branswell, 4/21)
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Press Association: Adenovirus: Child Hepatitis Cases Investigated In UK After Numbers Exceed 100
The number of cases of hepatitis among children under the age of 10 being investigated has risen to 108, health officials have confirmed. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it, Public Health Scotland, Public Health Wales and the Northern Ireland Public Health Agency were continuing to investigate the rise in cases of sudden onset hepatitis, liver inflammation, in children since January. It said on Thursday a further 34 cases had been identified, bringing the total across the UK to 108, with eight children having received a liver transplant. (Gammie, 4/21)
CIDRAP: Israel Examining 12 Unexplained Pediatric Hepatitis Cases
In the wake of unexplained hepatitis cases reported in young children by a number of countries, Israel's Ministry of Health (MOH) said yesterday on Twitter that a request for information to hospitals has turned up 12 cases in recent months. It said the 12 cases that fit the definition and are under investigation are from two hospitals—Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Schneider Children's Medical Center. (4/20)
