To date, at least 8 European and American countries have reported more than 100 suspected cases of hepatitis in young children of unknown cause
Recently, many countries in Europe and the United States have reported cases of hepatitis in children of unknown etiology. Since it was first detected in the UK in January, the total number of cases of sudden hepatitis in unexplained young children in the country has reached 108. In addition, European countries such as France, Spain and Denmark have reported cases of hepatitis of unknown origin to WHO, mainly under the age of 10.
According to CCTV News, on April 21, local time, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a national warning asking doctors across the United States to pay attention to suspected cases of hepatitis in children of unknown origin. At present, 9 cases of acute hepatitis in children have been found in Alabama and 2 cases in North Carolina.
According to foreign media reports, British health officials are still studying a range of factors that can lead to hepatitis in unexplained children. Experts from the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) point out that the "most likely" trigger is adenovirus – a common virus that usually causes colds, vomiting and diarrhea in children. Of the cases of hepatitis in children currently under investigation in the UK, 77% of cases test positive for adenovirus.
In addition, the UK Health Safety Agency said most of the children hospitalized for the disease were between the ages of 1 and 5, and 8 of them had developed severe symptoms and underwent liver transplants. As the UK only allows children over the age of 5 to be vaccinated against COVID-19, health officials have ruled out any link between unexplained childhood hepatitis and COVID-19 vaccines.
The UK health department notes that the "most likely" trigger is adenovirus
Adenovirus infection or unknown cause of hepatitis is the main cause
Both the United Kingdom and the United States have alerted patients to be tested for adenovirus
So far, at least 8 European and American countries have reported more than 100 suspected cases of hepatitis in young children of unknown cause. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a nationwide warning on the 21st that suspected cases have been found in both Alabama and North Carolina, and health officials are currently investigating nine cases of hepatitis in children aged 1 to 6 years who were hospitalized for severe liver injury between October 2021 and February 2022.
It is reported that these child patients in Alabama have not been infected with the new crown virus, and since October last year, they have tested positive for adenovirus, and two of them need liver transplants. In the health recommendations released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the 21st, medical institutions were reminded to consider adenovirus testing for children with unexplained hepatitis. The center added that "a possible association between hepatitis and adenovirus infection in young children is currently being investigated" and recommends testing for the patient's whole blood.
In cases of unexplained young children's hepatitis in the UK, most hospitalized children are between the ages of 1 and 5 years
The UK, which has by far found the highest number of cases of hepatitis in unexplained young children, has been investigating the causes behind it since the beginning of the year and is "concerned" about the recent surge in cases. The British Health Security Agency reported on the 21st local time that 34 new cases of hepatitis of unknown cause were found in the country, bringing the total number of cases to 108, mainly in children under 10 years old. The BRITISH health department said that the clinical syndrome of the confirmed cases is acute hepatitis, a significant increase in liver enzymes, and it is worth noting that most of them are accompanied by jaundice symptoms.
Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser to the UK Health Safety Agency, said health officials were still studying a range of factors that could lead to hepatitis in unexplained children, but there was a growing possibility that adenovirus caused hepatitis in young children. Adenovirus, which has 52 different strains, is a common group of viruses that usually cause colds, vomiting, and diarrhea in children. Hopkins said 77 percent of the cases currently under investigation test positive for adenovirus.
In addition, experts have analyzed that the restriction measures during the COVID-19 epidemic may have led to these children being exposed to adenovirus for the first time later, triggering a "stronger" immune response. Dr Tassos Gramati Kopolos, consultant in paediatric hepatology at King's College Hospital London, pointed out that one possible explanation is the lack of "social interaction" among children during the lockdown. He added: "Unlike the usual infections that have been exposed to when they are out and about, these children may not have been exposed to common pathogens because of the lockdown. ”
The father donated the liver for the transplant before the operation
Ying 3-year-old girl told she could only live a few hours.
Because adenoviruses rarely cause severe hepatitis in healthy people, scientists and clinicians are currently investigating whether the genetic makeup of adenoviruses has changed. Meanwhile, the UK's Health Security Agency said it does not rule out other possible causes, including the coronavirus, other infections or environmental factors. But the health department noted that none of the children diagnosed with unexplained hepatitis had been vaccinated against COVID-19, so such cases were "not linked" to the COVID-19 vaccine.
In the UK, most of the hospitalized children were between the ages of 1 and 5 years old, and 8 children underwent liver transplants because of their serious condition. British professor Hopkins pointed out that "people in this age group rarely undergo liver transplants", and there were 8 cases of liver transplantation in the first three months of this year alone, compared to the average number of cases of liver transplantation received by children in this age group. Hopkins added that the current situation is "very rare.".
Ryan's father, Alan, donated half of his liver for her
In March, a 3-year-old girl in the UK, Laura-Rose Ryan, was rushed to hospital after falling ill and was diagnosed with liver failure. Doctors informed Ryan's parents that Ryan's liver failure was caused by an adenovirus infection, an ordinary virus that usually causes flu-like symptoms, and it's unclear why there has been a sudden surge in hepatitis cases in children in the UK this year.
Doctors placed Ryan in an induced coma, which prevented the failure of other organs in her body. Ryan lay in an intensive care unit, relying on ventilators and other life-saving equipment to keep him alive. Ryan's parents were told they needed to urgently find a matching liver donor for their daughter or she would have to "live a few hours."
Ryan's father, Allen, said the news was like a blow to him at the time. Allen said the unexplained hepatitis really led him to face "the possibility of losing his daughter." It is reported that both Ryan's parents volunteered to become donors to their daughter's liver transplant, but father Alan's liver match was considered safer. Allen donated half of his own liver to his daughter, and the transplant lasted 7 hours.
After receiving a liver transplant, Ryan continued to improve and is still receiving physical therapy in the hospital
Ryan's parents said there was an "almost immediate" noticeable change in their daughter's physical condition after the liver transplant. "I thought I was wrong." Ryan's mother said, "But both the nurses and surgeons said they could see a change in her skin tone." Ryan's condition continues to improve and he is still receiving physical therapy at King's College Hospital in south-east London to recover until discharge.
Red Star News reporter Hu Yiling
Edited by Pan Li
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