Pennsylvania health department investigating mysterious hepatitis infections in children

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Pennsylvania Department of Health is investigating several reported cases of mysterious hepatitis infection in young children, though none have been confirmed.

UPMC Children's Hospital is looking at a handful of possible cases. The patients have symptoms that meet the CDC's reporting requirement, but none of them have been confirmed. 

The infections stretch back to October and no current patients are in the hospital.

What makes these cases so puzzling is that hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, is normally caused by a virus. It's also usually seen in adults because it can be spread by sharing a needle, sex or through contaminated food or water. Kids can get it, but it's not very common.

So far, there are more than 100 unexplained cases in kids in the U.S. in the past seven months. Five children have died. More than 90% of the patients ended up in the hospital and 14% needed liver transplants.