Approximately 5.3 million people in the US have hepatitis. Listen as Dr. Stacey Rizza breaks down the ABCs of hepatitis. Vaccines protect against hepatitis A, and are especially important for children and travelers. Hepatitis C is transmitted from person to person through bodily fluids. The virus can cause liver damage and death.

COMMENTS:

For the past three months, hundreds of cases of severe hepatitis cases among children have been noticed, especially in England and America, but present in more than 50 countries. These cases of Hepatitis were not caused by any of the usual suspects.

This puzzling increase in pediatric hepatitis apparently is due to Adenovirus 41, plus infection with adeno-associated virus 2. The double requirement is probably why it took a while to crack the causation mechanism. Genetic factors and the Covid lockdown may also have contributed.

—Dr. C.