The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that it has opened an investigation into a wave of mystery hepatitis cases that left five children dead and dozens more in the hospital. Fourteen of the youngsters needed liver transplants. Medical investigators have not determined what is causing the infections, though more than half of them had a bug known as adenovirus. “It’s important to remember that severe hepatitis in children is rare even with the potential increase in cases that we’re reporting today,” Dr. Jay Butler of the CDC said. The hepatitis cases have been seen in 25 states—and the U.K. is also investigating scores of infections.
