Theories emerge for mysterious liver illnesses in children

Theories emerge for mysterious liver illnesses in children

FILE - A sign at the entrance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seen, Tuesday, April 19, 2022, in Atlanta. Health officials remain perplexed by mysterious cases of severe liver damage in hundreds of young children around the world. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other investigators in the U.S. and abroad, are trying to sort out what's going on. (AP Photo/Ron Harris, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials remain perplexed by mysterious cases of severe liver damage in hundreds of young children around the world. The best available evidence points to a fairly common stomach bug. That virus hasn’t previously caused this kind of problem in otherwise healthy kids. Investigators in the U.S. and abroad are exploring a number of theories that might explain the mystery. One possibility that’s not yet proven: that the stomach virus and the coronavirus are combining to provoke a liver-damaging immune system response.

Photo: FILE – A sign at the entrance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seen, Tuesday, April 19, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Ron Harris, File)