US government scientists are officially sounding the alarm about acute hepatitis of unknown origin affecting children.
There are 109 confirmed cases in 25 states, five children have died and 14% of those affected had to undergo a transplant. Everyone was healthy before they manifested the disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are therefore studying the mysterious new liver syndrome that has already spread to about twenty countries around the world. In Europe, the most affected states so far are England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but also Italy .
The first outbreak in America was recorded in Alabama in April. Jay Butler , deputy director of the infectious disease department of the CDC pointed out that there is no apparent explanation for the onset of the disease in such a severe form among the youngest. It is very rare normally for children to develop liver disease in such an acute form that it leads to liver failure.
Viral causes common to the various types of hepatitis known so far have been excluded, while the presence of an adenovirus whose role is still to be clarified was found in 50% of young US patients.
"We must understand that it is an evolving situation and it is not certain that all the cases we are studying depend on the same reasons," added Butler.
(Unioneonline / L)
