Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that at least 109 children have been affected by unexplained cases of hepatitis with no known origin, with five of them dying.

The cases, which have been reported in 25 states and territories over the last seven months, came just days after World Health Organization authorities announced that they were looking into similar cases around the world.

In the United States, more than 90% of the individuals under study were hospitalized, 14% underwent liver transplants, and more than half had adenovirus infection, a common virus that can cause a range of illnesses. According to officials, the majority of these children have entirely recovered.

Officials recognized that the increase in instances is concerning, but said severe pediatric hepatitis cases are still uncommon.

“We know this update may be of concern especially to parents and guardians of young children,” says Dr. Jay Butler, deputy director for infectious diseases for the CDC, told reporters during a phone briefing on Friday. “It’s important to remember that severe hepatitis in children is rare, even with the potential increase in cases that we’re reporting today,”

Officials highlighted that the situation is changing, and that investigators are “casting a wide net” to figure out what’s causing the breakouts.

“Although rare, children can have serious hepatitis, and it’s not uncommon for the cause to be unknown. The 109 patients under investigation were identified as having been all within the past seven months. Not all the cases are recent, and some may of them may ultimately wind up not being linked to the current investigation,” Butler adds.

Officials said they are collaborating with public health specialists from around the world to better understand the global outbreak of cases. According to World Health Organization experts, roughly 278 instances have been found worldwide, with many of the sick children under the age of ten.

So yet, no common hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, delta, or E) have been linked to the cases, and officials believe there is no link to the COVID-19 immunization because many of the kids had not been vaccinated or were not yet eligible.

Officials have consistently said that the cause of this alarming outbreak is yet unknown.

Butler said it’s unclear what effect other factors, such as exposure to the environment (including animals), drugs, or other infections the children may have, might have.

“Investigators both here and abroad and around the globe are working hard to determine the cause,” Butler adds.

Adenovirus remains “at the top of the list” of viruses of interest, and one of the primary ideas put forth by investigators as to what is driving the outbreak.

Although no confirmed link to COVID-19 has been found in the nine occurrences of acute hepatitis among youngsters in Alabama, Butler stated that a possible link to COVID-19 is still being investigated.

Parents should be aware of any alarming signs associated with hepatitis, including as vomiting, black urine, light colored feces, and skin yellowing, according to health experts. Officials advised parents to call their child’s health care practitioner if they had any concerns about their child’s symptoms.

Regular handwashing, avoiding sick individuals, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding touching the eyes, nose, or mouth are all things that parents should do to protect their children from infections.

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