CDC Probe Of Children’s Hepatitis Outbreak Looks At Common Virus
Investigators say they have not yet determined if a type of adenovirus -- a common virus that causes intestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea -- is causing the outbreak but it has been linked to about half the hepatitis cases among children. They are also looking at the possibility of a covid infection, but they ruled out any link to the covid vaccines because many of the children had not been vaccinated. In other news, the infant formula shortage is worsening.
Bloomberg:
CDC Says Hepatitis Outbreak In Kids Up To 109 Cases In 25 States
There have been five reported deaths among the cases and 14% of the patients needed liver transplants, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. About half of the suspected cases were linked to adenovirus, which the agency said is at the “top of the list” of viruses of interest. “What makes this unusual is not the number of cases, but the possible association with adenovirus,” Jay Butler, CDC deputy director for infectious diseases said in a call with reporters. (Muller and Baumann, 5/6)
The New York Times:
C.D.C. Is Investigating 109 Cases of Hepatitis in Children, Including 5 Deaths
The C.D.C. and experts overseas are exploring whether a type of adenovirus, a common virus that causes intestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, may be a factor in these cases. But the agency has not determined a cause for the cases or a common link among all of them, and it cautioned against drawing conclusions. Dr. Butler called it “an evolving situation” in a news briefing on Friday. Later, he added, “It’s important to remember that severe hepatitis in children is rare even with the potential increase in cases that we’re reporting today.” (Kolata, 5/6)
CIDRAP:
Probe Of Unexplained Hepatitis In Kids Expands To 24 States, Puerto Rico
[Butler] said the illnesses are perplexing, because adenovirus 41, found in Alabama's patients and in some UK cases, doesn't typically infect healthy children. Investigators are pursuing several possibilities, including a potential role for cofactors, such as a connection to earlier COVID-19 infection. So far, acute COVID-19 infection doesn't seem to be a feature of the US cases or those abroad. Also, he emphasized that the cases aren't connected to COVID-19 vaccination, given that the age-group affected, those younger than 10, are too young to be immunized. (Schnirring, 5/6)
San Francisco Chronicle:
CDC Probes More Cases Of Unusual Pediatric Hepatitis, Including Nine In California
Nine cases of the unusual hepatitis, or liver inflammation, have been reported in California, according to the state public health department. None of the California cases have resulted in deaths. The World Health Organization had earlier reported cases in at least 12 countries around the world. (Ho, 5/6)
Detroit Free Press:
2 Michigan Kids With Severe Hepatitis Part Of CDC Investigation
Two Michigan children had suspected cases of a rare, severe form of hepatitis that's now believed to have sickened at least 109 kids in the U.S. and may be linked to adenovirus infection. Both Michigan children were younger than 5. One was from Oakland County and the other from the city of Detroit, said Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for the state health department. One child was sickened in October, Sutfin said; she couldn't provide details about the timing of the second suspected Michigan case. (Jordan Shamus, 5/6)
In updates on the nationwide infant formula shortage —
USA Today:
Baby Formula Shortage Worsens; CVS, Target, Walgreens Limit Sales
The ongoing infant formula shortage isn't over yet – and appears to be getting worse. Nearly 40% of popular baby formula brands were sold out at retailers across the U.S. during the week starting April 24, according to an analysis by Datasembly, which assessed supplies at more than 11,000 stores. That's up from an already-high out-of-stock percentage of 31% two weeks ago, Datasembly said. Major retailers including CVS, Target and Walgreens are limiting the amount of formula shoppers can purchase. (Snider, 5/7)
The New York Times:
A Nationwide Baby Formula Shortage Is Getting Worse
The manufacturer of Ashley Hernandez’s preferred baby formula for her two girls said it was out of stock on its website. Listings on eBay showed it would cost her up to $120 for a single can. So when she found a seller online offering 10 cans for $40 each, she expressed her desperation. “I have two children,” Ms. Hernandez, 35, of Dallas, began her message. “I cannot find it. I can purchase this today. I can pay cash.” Parents across the country are struggling to keep up with a nationwide shortage of baby formula — a problem worsened by a recent recall by Abbott Nutrition, a manufacturer of baby food. (Medina, 5/8)
In other public health news —
CNN:
The United States Is In A Maternal Health Crisis, Goldman Sachs Wants To Change That
The United States is in a maternal health crisis. Maternal mortality and morbidity rates across the country have increased steadily over the past 20 years, even as rates in all other developed countries have decreased significantly. New government data shows that US maternal deaths jumped by 14% during the first years of the pandemic, to 861 in 2020 from 754 in 2019. The rate of maternal deaths for Black women in the US was nearly three times higher than it was for white women over that time frame. Goldman Sachs wants to change that. Mahmee, a six-year-old maternal healthcare startup, has announced the closing of a $9.2 million Series A funding round led by Goldman's Growth Equity Business. ... The investment is part of Goldman Sachs’ One Million Black Women initiative, a $10 billion commitment to narrow opportunity gaps for Black women over the next decade. (Goodkind, 5/8)
North Carolina Health News:
As DEQ, EPA Are Slow To Act On PFAS, Private Manufacturers Look To Fill The Gap
Emily Donovan has waged war against per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) since 2017 when the chemicals were first revealed to be fouling the waters of the Cape Fear River Basin, which provides drinking water to nearly 1 million North Carolinians. Donovan and her family are among that number. Brunswick County is where Donovan lives and serves as the co-founder of Clean Cape Fear, a watchdog organization. The county is located near the mouth of the river system, where the waters meet the sea, it’s also an area that “has some of the highest levels of PFAS in tap water recorded per multiple nationwide tap water studies,” Donavan wrote in an email. (Atwater, 5/9)
AP:
Alabama-Based Pop’s Que And Stew Recalls Frozen Stew Product
An Alabama-based business is recalling more than 12,000 pounds of its frozen stew products that were made without a federal inspection, federal agriculture officials said. Pop’s Que and Stew, of Opelika, Alabama, is recalling about 12,472 pounds of the Brunswick stew products made on various dates from May 2020 to May 2022. (5/7)
The Washington Post:
Super Short Workouts Can Be Surprisingly Effective
It sounds like one of those outrageous infomercial claims — get fitter and healthier from as little as one minute of exercise. But In this case, the assertion isn’t too good to be true. There’s now a strong body of research showing that even workouts of 10 minutes or less can produce real and meaningful results, says Jenna Gillen, an exercise physiologist at the University of Toronto. Gillen’s work has shown that even a one-minute bout of exercise, done right, can improve your fitness and health. Of course there’s a caveat: to get results from such short workouts, you have to be willing to push yourself hard, Gillen says. Numerous studies have shown that intense interval training protocols can get results from relatively short workouts. Gillen and her colleagues at McMaster University wanted to know just how short that workout can be. (Aschwanden, 5/7)
