Mysterious Hepatitis Cases in Children May Have Complex Cause

July 26, 2022

(Wall Street Journal) – The studies compared blood and tissue samples from children with unexplained hepatitis to samples taken from a variety of control groups, including healthy children, children with known adenovirus infection but no liver inflammation and children with liver inflammation of known cause. The studies found high levels of adeno-associated virus 2, or AAV2, in almost every case of unexplained hepatitis. Adeno-associated viruses replicate only in the presence of a so-called helper virus, normally an adenovirus. They have never before been associated with any human disease. (Read More)