GA Hepatitis Outbreak Causing Liver Disease In Children

ATLANTA, GA — After several cases of severe hepatitis were reported in children in nearby states, health officials confirmed they are also looking into reports of liver disease in children throughout Georgia.

"Several suspect cases have been reported to DPH, but they all remain under investigation at this time," Nancy Nydam, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Public Health, told Patch in an email.

Nydam did not say how many cases have been reported to the department so far or from what counties.

On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning for U.S. physicians after nine cases of severe hepatitis were reported in children in Alabama and two in North Carolina.

Since then, NBC News reports that nearly a dozen other states, as well as Georgia, are investigating cases of severe liver illnesses in children. Those states include Louisiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Deleware, and New York.

Additional cases in children have been reported in Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported.

Authorities are uncertain what is causing the outbreak, however, some children who've recently contracted hepatitis also tested positive for adenovirus, a virus typically associated with cold-like symptoms, fever, sore throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhea, and pink eye.

It is unknown whether that virus is a cause or is somehow contributing to the outbreak, the AP reported.

Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver that can be caused by viral infections, alcohol use, toxins, medications and certain other medical conditions, according to the CDC. In the United States, the most common causes of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C viruses.

Both hepatitis A and hepatitis B are preventable with safe and effective vaccines, and hepatitis C is curable with prescribed treatment, the CDC reports.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, signs and symptoms of hepatitis include yellow skin or eyes (jaundice), joint pain, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, diarrhea and clay-colored stools. They range from mild to severe and last a few weeks to several months.

Several children throughout the country who've contracted hepatitis recently have needed liver transplants. Health officials in Wisconsin confirmed one child has died after contracting the disease, WDJT-TV reported.