A mysterious hepatitis outbreak in children has spread across the northern hemisphere, with six probable cases of the illness identified in Ireland over the past ten weeks in children aged one to 12 years.
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, and although it can have many causes, what has baffled experts is none of the children who have the mystery strain have tested positive for viruses known to cause the illness.
The strain has proven to be deadly, with the HSE confirming on Thursday that a child being treated for an acute form of hepatitis has died, and a second has received a liver transplant.
