Common virus may be linked to liver failure in healthy children – WRAL News
By UNC Health Talk
Editor's note: This article originally appeared on UNC Health Talk.
Doctors around the world are trying to understand what is causing children to develop severe hepatitis (liver inflammation) that in some cases results in liver failure. These puzzling cases have been linked to a common adenovirus that typically causes colds, conjunctivitis (pinkeye), and stomach cramps and diarrhea.
The number of known cases is very small, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Still, both organizations are asking doctors to report any cases of otherwise healthy children who develop liver disease.
In North Carolina, two school-age children with seve...