SW China hepatitis A case hospitalizes 22

NANNING  - Twenty-one students and a teacher from a school in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region have been hospitalized after a confirmed outbreak of hepatitis A, local authorities said Saturday.

The infected are from the Ligao high school in Liujiang county, Liuzhou city, according to officials with the provincial bureau of health.

The school has been receiving reports of stomach aches and nausea from the students since the middle of April.

The infected are in stable conditions and there has been no new reports of illness in the last week.

Experts said preliminary investigation shows that the outbreak was probably caused by a pollution of the school's water source.

Hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, is caused by infectious or toxic agents and characterized by jaundice, fever, liver enlargement and abdominal pain.