PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Cases of hepatitis in children are increasing in the United States and Europe. KYW Medical Editor Dr. Brian McDonough says there are concerns about a potential new cause.
Hepatitis, which causes an inflammation of the liver, was once puzzling to doctors, but over the years we have learned more about the disease and have linked it to an ever-expanding alphabet soup of hepatitis virus variations.
Now there is an alarming increase in hepatitis cases among children, and none of the known viruses are causing it. Right now, leading scientists are working hard to link it to the virus that causes it, and they think they have isolated it: a virus called adenovirus type 41.
At the present time there are fewer than 100 cases under investigation in the U.S. When the cause is identified, scientists can work to come up with preventive tools.
KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.