The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is encouraging parents to be aware of the symptoms of hepatitis, following three suspected cases of severe hepatitis in children younger than 10, potentially linked to a strain of adenovirus. According to the agency, one of those cases resulted in a liver transplant.
Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver, and the symptoms include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light colored stools, joint pain, and jaundice.
Adenoviruses are spread person to person and most commonly involve respiratory illness, though some types can other serious issues. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), adenovirus may be the cause for these and other cases of severe hepatitis nationally.
More information is available here.