Illinois health authorities are currently investigating nine potential cases of severe hepatitis in children – NBC Chicago

Illinois health officials are investigating nine potential cases of severe hepatitis in children under the age of 10, including one who required a liver transplant, the state health department said Wednesday.

That number has increased from the three potential cases reported in April.

According to the Illinois Public Health Service, cases date back to January, with the latest cases showing symptoms in May.

According to experts, two-thirds of children test positive for adenovirus, which may contribute to the recent increase in hepatitis cases in children.

Many adenoviruses are associated with common cold symptoms such as fever, sore throat, and pink eyes. Some versions, including adenovirus 41, can cause other problems, such as inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Adenovirus was previously associated with hepatitis in children, but is primarily found in children with a weakened immune system.

CDC officials said last week they are currently investigating 180 possible cases nationwide Most children were hospitalized, at least 15 needed liver transplants, and 6 died.

A total of hundreds of cases have been reported in more than 20 other countries, with the most common being the United Kingdom and the United States.

What should parents be aware of in recent warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Illinois Public Health Service surrounding cases of abnormal hepatitis in children?

The scope of the problem was just beginning to become apparent last month, but sick detectives say they have been tackling the mystery for months. According to experts, it was very difficult to determine the cause.

Elsewhere, the traditional causes of liver inflammation in healthy children — the virus known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E — did not appear in the test. In addition, the children came from different locations and seemed to have had no general exposure.

It was adenovirus 41 that appeared. More than half of the cases in the United States have been tested positive for adenovirus, and there are dozens of them. Adenovirus 41 appeared each time in a small number of specimens tested to determine what type of adenovirus was present.

The fact that adenovirus continues to emerge reinforces the claim that it plays a role, but it is unclear how Dr. Jay Butler, Deputy Director of Infectious Diseases at the CDC, told The Associated Press.

Dr. Umesh Parashar, chief of the CDC group, focused on viral enteropathy, and recent genetic analysis found no evidence that it was due to a single new mutant version of the virus.

It is not clear if viral activity has surged recently, as adenovirus infections have not been systematically tracked in the United States. In fact, adenoviruses are so common that researchers do not know what to do with their presence in these cases.

“When you start testing for adenovirus, you’ll find so many children,” said Dr. Heli Bhatt, a pediatric gastroenterologist who treated two children in Minnesota with liver problems.

In Illinois, five cases were reported in the northern part of the state, two in the western part, and one in the central and southern parts. All children were hospitalized and one needed a liver transplant, but no deaths have been reported so far.

Symptoms of hepatitis (or inflammation of the liver) include fever, malaise, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools, joint pain, and jaundice.

“IDPH is working with Illinois health care providers to identify other suspicious potential cases in the state, monitor symptoms, and inform local public health authorities of suspected hepatitis cases in children of unknown origin. I asked the provider to report, “the Health Department said in a release. “IDPH will work with the local health departments involved to collect available specimens and send them to the CDC for further investigation of the viral genome and other potential pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. We are conducting further clinical tests. “

According to the IDPH, CDC authorities now believe that adenovirus may be the cause of these reported cases, but researchers have ruled out other possible causes and other possible factors. We are learning more, such as identifying.

Parents and guardians should contact their health care provider if they have any concerns and encourage their children to take routine precautions such as washing their hands frequently, avoiding sick people, and covering coughing and sneezing. I recommend it.