During October–November 2021, clinicians at a children’s hospital in Alabama identified five pediatric patients with severe hepatitis and adenovirus viremia upon admission. In November 2021, hospital clinicians, the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Jefferson County Department of Health, and CDC began an investigation. This activity was reviewed by CDC and conducted consistent with applicable federal law and CDC policy.*

Clinical records from the hospital were reviewed to identify patients seen on or after October 1, 2021, with hepatitis and an adenovirus infection, detected via real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing on whole blood specimens, and no other known cause for hepatitis. An additional four children were identified, for a total of nine patients with hepatitis of unknown etiology and concomitant adenovirus infection during October 2021–February 2022. On February 1, 2022, a statewide health advisory^† was disseminated to aid in the identification of cases at other facilities in Alabama; no additional patients were identified.

All nine children were patients at Children’s of Alabama. These patients were from geographically distinct parts of the state; no epidemiologic links among patients were identified. The median age at admission was 2 years, 11 months (IQR = 1 year, 8 months to 5 years, 9 months) and seven patients were female (Table). All patients were immunocompetent with no clinically significant medical comorbidities.

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