Mysterious hepatitis outbreak in children.
Hepatitis, or liver inflammation, is very rare in children, yet the U.S. has reported more than 100 cases of severe hepatitis in otherwise healthy children since October 2021. The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented over 650 cases of hepatitis in children around the world. The cause of the mysterious outbreak is unknown; however, half of the children tested positive for an adenovirus. This type of virus is not typically associated with hepatitis.
What does your practice need to know about this outbreak?
Most children have had mild symptoms; however, six children have died, and another 15 needed liver transplants. This article in Yale Medical News Rise of Hepatitis Cases in Children: What Parents Need To Know, states that while parents might be worried about the unusually high number of cases, medical experts recommend that rather than panic, physicians and parents should be aware of what symptoms to look for.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) article Children with Hepatitis of Unknown Cause provides information on the investigation thus far and the possible causes of the outbreak.
Medical Mutual's practice tip Minors and the Right to Consent to Health Care Treatment provides guidance on minors and who can consent to their treatment.