2 Mass. pediatric hepatitis cases under investigation, DPH says
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is investigating two cases of pediatric hepatitis in the state, but both cases have tested negative for adenovirus infection.The DPH said no additional details are being released to respect the privacy of the pediatric patients. Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that it was investigating more than 100 cases of severe and unexplained hepatitis in children.It asked doctors and public health officials to notify the agency if they had similar cases of children under the age of 10 with elevated liver enzymes and no apparent explanation for their hepatitis going back to October.Most of the children were healthy when they developed symptoms that included fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, belly pain, dark urine, light-colored stools and yellowing of their skin and eyes — a sign called jaundice.More than half of cases worldwide have been connected to an adenovirus, a common virus that causes a variety of illnesses.There are dozens of adenoviruses, many of them associated with cold-like symptoms, fever, sore throat and pink eye. But some versions can trigger other problems, including inflammation in the stomach and intestines. Officials are exploring a link to one particular version that’s normally associated with gut inflammation.”As clinicians, we should be watching out for our children with the same types of symptoms,” Dr. Brian Chow with Tufts Medical Center said.”Earlier on in this outbreak, many of these cases have been caused by a virus called adenovirus,” Chow said.”More than 90% of those kids needed to be hospitalized,” Dr. Ali Raja, deputy chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital said last week. “In fact, 14% of them required a liver transplant. So it’s a pretty big deal.”Raja said the kids affected have been young. “They’ve generally been between 1 to 6 years — old,” Raja said.”What parents should be looking out for is, first of all, the recognition that, so far, this is really quite rare,” Dr. Richard Malley with Boston Children’s Hospital said
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is investigating two cases of pediatric hepatitis in the state, but both cases have tested negative for adenovirus infection.
The DPH said no additional details are being released to respect the privacy of the pediatric patients.
Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that it was investigating more than 100 cases of severe and unexplained hepatitis in children.
It asked doctors and public health officials to notify the agency if they had similar cases of children under the age of 10 with elevated liver enzymes and no apparent explanation for their hepatitis going back to October.
Most of the children were healthy when they developed symptoms that included fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, belly pain, dark urine, light-colored stools and yellowing of their skin and eyes — a sign called jaundice.
More than half of cases worldwide have been connected to an adenovirus, a common virus that causes a variety of illnesses.
There are dozens of adenoviruses, many of them associated with cold-like symptoms, fever, sore throat and pink eye. But some versions can trigger other problems, including inflammation in the stomach and intestines. Officials are exploring a link to one particular version that’s normally associated with gut inflammation.
“As clinicians, we should be watching out for our children with the same types of symptoms,” Dr. Brian Chow with Tufts Medical Center said.
“Earlier on in this outbreak, many of these cases have been caused by a virus called adenovirus,” Chow said.
“More than 90% of those kids needed to be hospitalized,” Dr. Ali Raja, deputy chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital said last week. “In fact, 14% of them required a liver transplant. So it’s a pretty big deal.”
Raja said the kids affected have been young.
“They’ve generally been between 1 to 6 years — old,” Raja said.
“What parents should be looking out for is, first of all, the recognition that, so far, this is really quite rare,” Dr. Richard Malley with Boston Children’s Hospital said
Read More: 2 Mass. pediatric hepatitis cases under investigation, DPH says