Mysterious Liver Disease Kills Three More Children, Leaving Experts Stumped

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Three children have died due to a mysterious liver disease that has stumped health experts across the world. The three children were from Indonesia, bringing the death total to four. Health officials in Indonesia said that the children suffered from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, jaundice, and seizures. They did not say how old the children were or if they had any pre-existing conditions.

The disease, which is an acute strain of hepatitis, has sickened nearly 230 children in 11 countries, including the United States. At least 18 children diagnosed with the disease required a liver transplant.

Health experts are puzzled about what is causing the liver disease because none of the children tested positive for the viruses that typically cause hepatitis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is investigating a link to the adenovirus 41, which causes the common cold.

The CDC urged parents to be on the lookout for symptoms associated with hepatitis.

"CDC is working with state health departments to see if there are additional U.S. cases and what may be causing these cases," the CDC said in an alert last month. "We continue to recommend children be up to date on all their vaccinations and that parents and caregivers of young children take the same everyday preventive actions that we recommend for everyone, including washing hands often, avoiding people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding touching the eyes, nose or mouth."


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