The Hawaii Department of Health said it is investigating a report of acute pediatric hepatitis of unknown origin in a boy under the age of 10 living in Maui.
The DOH said the boy was hospitalized for several days with abdominal pain and a fever in late April.
“An extensive medical investigation was conducted and several lab test results are pending,” the DOH said in a statement. “At this time, no cause has been determined. DOH is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify the cause of the hepatitis case.”
The CDC is investigating more than 100 cases of childhood hepatitis with no known cause that have been reported in 24 US states and Puerto Rico, according to Bloomberg News, including five deaths.
On April 21, the CDC issued a national health alert regarding a group of nine children identified with hepatitis of unknown origin in Alabama, all of whom were previously healthy. The CDC said none of these children, ages 1 to 6, had COVID-19.
The CDC asked all physicians to be vigilant for symptoms and to report any suspected cases of hepatitis of unknown origin to their local and state health departments.
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