CDC Issues Rare Liver Damage – When it comes to public health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have a lot in their bucket and recently issued warnings related to rare liver damage in children.
A few days ago, the CDC issued a guideline asking physicians nationwide to be on the lookout for unusual cases of severe hepatitis in children. Till now, more than nine cases have been reported in Alabama, North Carolina, and other states of the United States.
As per medical reports and the CDC, the cases identified had similar symptoms as hepatitis which refers to the inflammation of the liver. The children affected by the disease became so ill that they needed a liver transplant.
Even though no death has been reported till now, all the children reported with cases were aged 1 to 6. Another thing that is very interesting regarding the CDC is that it should rarely be able to cause damage warnings. All the children diagnosed with the issue were healthy previously, without any underlying health condition.
Symptoms of CDC issued rare liver Disease Warning.
Before we move ahead, let’s first discuss the symptoms related to the CDC-issued rare liver disease warning. The whole text is yet to find the exact cause of the disease, but the symptoms are pretty clear, and they are common in most cases.
Most children with the rare liver damage disease in recent weeks have had similar symptoms where they were struggling with jaundice, poor appetite, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
There is a probability that children or anyone diagnosed with rare liver disease or acute hepatitis can also develop abdominal pain or joint pain.
There is a long list of symptoms associated with acute hepatitis, which has been diagnosed in several children in recent weeks. The most common symptoms of CDC-issued rare liver disease are going to be:
Vomiting and nausea
Most kids diagnosed with rare liver disease also had symptoms like vomiting and nausea. These were the first signs in some cases, and you should also have an eye on your kids regarding similar symptoms. Even though children diagnosed with the disease were not vomiting, there was always a feeling like vomit.
Jaundice
Jaundice was also among the most common symptoms in children diagnosed with rare liver disease or acute hepatitis. It can further have symptoms including yellow skin, pale stool, dark urine, and itchiness.
As a precautionary measure, you should keep an eye on your children, and in case they start experiencing any of the above-given symptoms, then you should consult with your doctor as early as possible.
Joint and Abdominal Pain
There is also a probability that your children might develop symptoms similar to joint pain and abdomen pain. Both symptoms were also on the long list of symptoms experienced by the children affected by the disease. Apart from that, there is also a probability that your child may also develop pain throughout the body due to other conditions, including jaundice and nausea.
Other Symptoms
As you are already aware, there is a long list of symptoms that might be associated with several types of hepatitis, and many of them were experienced by kids diagnosed with rare liver disease.
First of all, most kids diagnosed with the disease in Alabama were experiencing poor appetite and a general feeling of illness. However, it was also experienced by other kids, even in the United Kingdom and Spain. The general feeling of illness might also make a physician misdiagnose symptoms that are not even there.
Apart from that, some kids were also diagnosed with fever and rash caused by liver damage. You should keep an eye on both of the symptoms and let them go to the doctor during the diagnosis.
Cause of CDC issued Rare Liver Damage Disease Warning
As per the report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the cause of CDC-issued rare liver damaged disease warning could be Adenovirus 41.
Till now, the health experts have identified more than 50 types of Adenovirus, and currently affecting the kids could be type 41.
Adenovirus 41 was diagnosed back in November 2021 when a large children’s hospital in Alabama notified the Centers for Disease Control and prevention regarding 5 patriotic patients with acute liver failure and Adenovirus 41.
All of the children were previously healthy and did not have any underlying health conditions, and suddenly they were affected with symptoms like jaundice, general feeling of illness, fever, and body ache.
The Centers for Disease control and prevention is yet to identify the major cause of patriotic hepatitis and Adenovirus 41 infection. The CDC further mentioned in its press release that all the kids who tested positive for Adenovirus in the United States and the United Kingdom also tested negative for every type of hepatitis.
Diagnosis of CDC issued rare liver Damage Disease Warning
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in its guidelines related to the disease, further mentioned that clinicians around the country should consider testing for Adenovirus 41 along with acute hepatitis.
Usually, doctors are able to detect any symptoms related to acute hepatitis during a physical exam, but they may further recommend tests for Adenovirus.
- A blood test is among the most common types of test to diagnose Adenovirus. A health expert will take a sample of blood from your kid’s vein in their arm and send it to the laboratory to test for the virus.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend swab tests for all hospitals when it comes to Adenovirus testing. A health expert will use a cotton swab to get a sample of mucus from your child that is similar to the COVID-19 test.
- Urine and stool tests are also among the most popular types of tests to diagnose Adenovirus. You might have to collect a sample of your child’s poop at home and bring it to the doctor’s office.
If health experts believe it is a case similar to the CDC issuing a rare liver damage disease warning, then they might suggest you go for a blood test.
Treatment of CDC issued rare liver Damage Disease Warning
Before we wrap this session, let’s take a look at the treatment options for CDC-issued rare liver damage disease warning.
As you are already aware, the warning is associated with that disease which can have symptoms related to acute hepatitis and Adenovirus type 41 at the same time.
So the treatment options are going to be limited, depending on the symptoms. The treatment options related to Adenovirus might include antibodies, clear congestion, plenty of liquids, etc.
On the other hand, treatment related to Acute hepatitis Might depend on the type of hepatitis. In order to get the best idea regarding the treatment, you should consult with your doctor.
Is there anything to Prevent the Disease?
The Centers for Disease Control and prevention any guidelines related to the prevention of the disease. You can consult with your health expert, and they might be able to suggest something to you.
There are some guidelines to prevent acute hepatitis and Adenovirus.
- As a preventive measure, your doctor might suggest you keep your child away from anyone who is sick, including other sick children.
- You should keep washing your child’s hands at a regular interval, especially before meals. You can also use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if you do not have any soap or water nearby.
- Kindly do not allow your kids to swim in pools that are not well maintained and public swimming pools.
- Your doctor might also suggest you take a vaccine for hepatitis.
The Situation in Other Countries
Similar to the United States, several other countries are also struggling with a similar virus. A few days ago, the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention also announced that more than it does in cases of the virus had been identified in the United Kingdom, Spain, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
The symptoms of the disease are exactly the same in the United States, and help experts are trying to figure out the right cause of these cases. The children affected by the rare disease in Europe were aged between two to five.
Authorities from Europe also notified the similar case to World Health Organization, and the WHO also issued a statement regarding a similar issue.
In its statement, the World Health Organization mentioned that after further investigation, they have found that there are more than 70 cases across the United Kingdom. Most of these cases have similar issues, including elevated liver enzymes, jaundice, et cetera.
Even though most cases have symptoms similar to hepatitis but laboratory testing has exploded hepatitis type A, B, C, D, and E.
Can I diagnose the CDC-issued Rare Liver Damage warning at home?
It is not impossible to diagnose rare liver damage warning at home, but you should take your kid to the doctor. Several symptoms associated with the disease, including jaundice, body pain, nausea, and vomiting, can be diagnosed at home, but the exact cause of those symptoms cannot be diagnosed without proper laboratories.