ABC7 Doctors Investigating Common Cold Virus and Its Possible Connection to Acute Hepatitis in Children Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 20 May 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC7 Doctors Investigating Common Cold Virus and Its Possible Connection to Acute Hepatitis in Children Cedars-Sinai pediatric infectious disease specialist Santhosh Nadipuram, MD, recommends practicing good hand hygiene to avoid getting the virus that recently has been linked to hepatitis in children. Photo by Getty Images. hepatitis colorful word on the wooden background ABC7 recently interviewed Cedars-Sinai pediatric infectious disease specialist Santhosh M. Nadipuram, MD, about the sudden rise in cases of liver inflammation (hepatitis) among children, which could be linked to a common cold virus known as adenovirus 41. The first spike in cases of liver inflammation was reported in the United Kingdom, Nadipuram told ABC7. "By the 8th of April, they found 74 cases in total, and these were all in children who are about 11 months, all the way up to 10 years. But most of them are under five years old," he explained. The World Health Organization was able to identify 169 cases worldwide, nine of which were found in Alabama. Two of the children in Alabama who became sick required liver transplants. "The ones in Alabama had adenovirus and that was what seems to be that common thread," Nadipuram told ABC7. Adenoviruses are not new and, in fact, are very common. They can cause pink eye as well as respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Adenovirus 41 can cause hepatitis in immunocompromised children. Symptoms include yellow skin and eyes, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, dark urine and pale bowel movements. But all of the children who have developed liver inflammation were otherwise healthy, leading researchers to question whether the virus has changed. "It’s our best candidate right now, but we are not 100% sure that this is the cause behind the uptick in cases," Nadipuram told ABC7. Nadipuram recommended good hand hygiene to avoid getting the virus. "Soap and water is really best if possible, especially before eating and before doing anything where you’re touching your face," he told ABC7. Click here to read the complete article and watch the video from ABC7. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release ABC7 Doctors Investigating Common Cold Virus and Its Possible Connection to Acute Hepatitis in Children Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home