The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a nationwide health alert on Thursday about an unusual cluster of serious hepatitis cases in young children for which the cause or causes is not known.
The CDC is asking parents and physicians nationwide to be on the lookout for these unusual cases.
Nine cases have been reported in Alabama between October 2021 and February 2022, and an additional two have been identified in North Carolina, according to the alert.
All of the children were previously healthy before being diagnosed, officials said, and two required liver transplants. The children affected were between one to six years old. There have been no reported deaths.
“A possible association between pediatric hepatitis and adenovirus infection is currently under investigation,” the advisory said.
The World Health Organization also reports cases in multiple countries including Scotland, the U.K. and Spain. Both organizations encourage everyone to be vigilant of the symptoms, as doctors expect more cases to start popping up.
News4JAX spoke with UF Health Jacksonville’s Dr. Mobeen Rathore, who specializes in pediatric infectious disease, and asked if there was any reason to believe there are cases here in Florida.
“So far we don’t have any evidence of cases here in Florida,” Rathore said. “I think as the word goes around people will become more aware and they will be looking... I think this is something we all need to be attentive and aware of because there’s no reason it can’t happen in Florida.”
Be sure to look for the symptoms of hepatitis which include fever, loss of appetite, nausea, dark urine, and one of the most obvious, jaundice or a yellow undertone to the skin.
Click here to read the full health advisory.