US health authorities are currently investigating 109 cases of the unexplained form of hepatitis in children, including five deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced this at a press conference.
Cases of the mysterious liver infection have been discovered in 25 US states and territories. The average age of children affected is just two years, the CDC reports.
Due to their young age, these children were not eligible for a corona jab. “So vaccination against the coronavirus is not the cause,” said Jay Butler of the CDC. He is responding to the various theories that are doing the rounds on the internet. On the other hand, the CDC does not rule out a contamination with the corona virus as a possible path for the time being, Butler emphasizes.
Central to the CDC’s hypothesis is a particular type of adenovirus. These viruses are fairly common, but it is not yet known whether they also cause hepatitis in healthy children. More than half of affected children in the US have been confirmed to have tested positive for the so-called ‘type 41’ adenovirus.
Cases in the US have surfaced in the last seven months. Fourteen percent of the affected children required a liver transplant. “We know this is disturbing news, especially for parents with young children,” Butler said. “But we want to reiterate that these cases of hepatitis are very rare.”
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.