On April 21, local time, the latest report from the British health department said that the investigation showed that 34 new cases of hepatitis of unknown cause were found in the United Kingdom, bringing the total number of cases to 108.
Of the confirmed cases, 79 are in England, 14 in Scotland and the rest in Wales and Northern Ireland. Of these cases, eight children underwent liver transplants because of their serious condition.
According to securities times, in recent days, many countries around the world have reported a number of cases of severe acute hepatitis in children, causing market concern. At present, the cause of this hepatitis is not clear, and WHO and the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention have issued an alert. According to French media reports, Dr. Jean-Marc Sabatier, director of research at the French National Academy of Sciences, said that the acute hepatitis was in line with the covid-19 disease, and preliminary research showed that the acute hepatitis may be caused by a variant or sub-variant of the new coronavirus SARS-cov-2 (such as omicron, xd, xe, etc.).
Outbreaks of childhood hepatitis of unknown cause in the UK
In severe cases, liver transplantation is required
According to the surging news, on April 5, the British health department notified who notified THE WHO of 10 cases of severe acute hepatitis in infants and young children of unknown etiology found in central Scotland. The patients were between 11 months and 5 years of age and had no history of previous illness. The earliest case developed symptoms in January 2022, the remaining nine were detected in March, and all 10 cases were detected while hospitalized. By 8 April, further investigations across the UK had uncovered a total of 74 similar cases.
The British side said that unexplained hepatitis mainly occurs in children under 10 years of age, and the clinical syndrome of confirmed cases is acute hepatitis, significant elevation of liver enzymes, usually accompanied by jaundice, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms.
"We are rapidly investigating the various possible factors that could lead to a child's hospitalization for hepatitis." Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections at Public Health Safety Agency England, said: "The information gathered through our investigations is increasingly suggesting that these cases are linked to adenovirus infection. However, we are thoroughly investigating other potential causes. ”
The survey also revealed that information from patient samples and surveillance systems pointed to this unexplained cause of hepatitis to a link to adenovirus infection, with 77 percent of test cases testing positive for adenovirus.
Adenoviruses are a common class of viruses that usually cause a range of mild illnesses, including colds, vomiting, and diarrhea, and usually do not cause hepatitis. Adenoviridae viruses are an important cause of febrile illness in young children, most commonly causing upper respiratory syndrome and can also cause pneumonia. Rarely, it can cause diseases of the digestive system, eyes, genitourinary system and nervous system.
Adenoviruses usually spread from person to person and through contact with contaminated surfaces as well as through the respiratory tract. The most effective way to reduce adenovirus transmission is to maintain good hand and respiratory hygiene and to supervise thorough handwashing in young children.
Experts point out that although mild hepatitis in children is common, this time the situation is significantly different, and some patients in the UK are in serious condition, and some even need liver transplants. Experts say adenovirus rarely causes severe hepatitis in healthy people. It is very rare for this to occur in children who do not have serious underlying health problems.
The UK health department is actively researching other possible contributing factors, such as another infection (including COVID-19) or environmental causes.
Health officials have ruled out any link to the COVID-19 vaccine because no patients have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
The UK health department also said it was working with scientists and clinicians across the country to see if the genome of adenovirus had changed to answer the above questions as soon as possible.
There are also children in the United States who need liver transplants
According to overseas networks, the US National Broadcasting Corporation reported on the 21st that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an alert on the same day, asking doctors across the United States to pay attention to cases of hepatitis in children of unknown cause.
According to state health departments, 9 cases of acute hepatitis in children have been detected in Alabama and 2 in North Carolina. Several confirmed children in Alabama reported serious illness requiring liver transplants. Patients are all between 1 and 6 years of age and were in good health before the diagnosis of hepatitis did not have any underlying disease.
Bailey Pennington, a spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, said two children in the state have developed severe hepatitis and are recovering.
According to China News Network, Alabama has reported 9 cases of unexplained childhood hepatitis. While there have been no deaths in the state, several children are in serious condition and in need of liver transplants, all ages 1 to 6, without any underlying illnesses before.
In addition, 2 cases of hepatitis in children were also detected in North Carolina. Bailey Pennington, a spokesman for the local health department, said two school-age children in the state had developed severe hepatitis and are now recovering. Pennington said in a statement that "no cause has been found at this time, nor have they been found to have been exposed to common pathogens."
According to The Paper, the CDC said in a statement: "At the moment, adenoviruses may be the cause of these, but investigators are still learning more, including ruling out other possible causes and identifying other possible causative factors." ”
An article published by the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention on the 14th believes that even if the cause of the disease is adenovirus infection, it may be related to the new crown pandemic, because many young children have not been exposed to many common viruses due to long-term isolation during the epidemic. When masks are removed and social distancing measures are lifted, they become more vulnerable to infections from the outside world.
Related cases have been found in many countries in Europe and the United States
According to CCTV Finance, the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) released a message on the 19th that not only in the United Kingdom, Spain, Ireland, but also in Denmark and the Netherlands and other countries have also recorded cases of acute hepatitis in children of unknown origin.
More cases of children were recorded in Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain after the UK Department of Health and Social Health (DHSC) reported cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin.
In mid-April, it was reported that the World Health Organization was analysing information on cases of hepatitis of unknown origin found in Spain, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Hepatitis A, B, C, E and D viruses have not been detected in laboratory studies, but in some cases the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) or adenovirus (Adenovirus) has been detected.
The European Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that nine cases of acute hepatitis were also detected in children aged 1 to 6 years in Alabama, USA, who were found to be infected with adenovirus.
The European CDC noted that investigations continue in all countries that have documented cases of hepatitis of unknown origin. The agency's statement stressed that "at present, the exact cause of hepatitis in these children remains unknown".
In early April, WHO said it would not recommend restricting travel to the UK or any other country with cases of hepatitis of unknown origin, nor did it recommend restricting trade with them.
(The Paper, Overseas Network, China News Network, Securities Times, CCTV Finance)