Health officials in Romania are reporting an outbreak of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) during an 11 day span, which has affected some 10 children and killing three.

Romania Image/CIA
Romania
Image/CIA

According to the Ministry of Health of Romania, the children are ages  5-16 months from Arges County. They were admitted to a  Bucharest hospital with the symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, with or without dehydration, and suspected Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) between January 29 and 9 February.

In addition to the three fatalities, three are under dialysis in an ICU, five are admitted in a nephrology ward and one has been discharged.

The investigation is ongoing and the etiology have yet to be identified. Romanian health officials have called on the assistance of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

According to the Mayo Clinic, HUS is a condition that results from the abnormal premature destruction of red blood cells. Once this process begins, the damaged red blood cells start to clog the filtering system in the kidneys, which may eventually cause the life-threatening kidney failure associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Most cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome develop in children after two to 14 days of diarrhea — often bloody — due to infection with a certain strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli).

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