Alabama joins Ireland, Spain, and the U.K. with cases of childhood liver disease

The Alabama Department of Public Health says at least nine children in the state have been diagnosed with hepatitis. These young patients are around ten years old and join kids in Ireland, Spain, and U.K. who fell ill. Two of the Alabama patients required liver transplants. Alabama is the only State in the nation with the illnesses. Researchers have not found any connections between the children, and none of them had any known underlying health conditions. ADPH says the children came from different areas of Alabama, and complained of symptoms of a gastrointestinal illness. They were diagnosed with varying degrees of liver injury, including liver failure. Doctors believe there may be a possible association of this hepatitis outbreak with what’s called adenoviruses. These diseases are common and typically cause a mild flu-like or gastrointestinal illness. They rarely lead to severe illnesses. ADPH is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in trying to find a cause. The CDC is developing a national health advisory looking for clinically similar cases in other states.