According to the Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) website reported on the evening of April 25, on the same day, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare reported that a child under 16 years old in Japan had been diagnosed with unexplained acute hepatitis. This is the first case of unexplained hepatitis confirmed in Japan. Previously, more than 100 such cases were found in the United States and European countries.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of cases of acute hepatitis in children under 10 years of age is increasing. As of 21 April, unexplained cases of acute hepatitis have been reported in the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, Israel, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway, France, Romania and Belgium. Of the 169 cases, 114 are from the UK. The patients ranged in age from 1 to 16 years, 17 of whom required a liver transplant.
On April 21, a local government in Japan reported a suspected case of hepatitis to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and is currently receiving hospitalization, according to the Mainichi Shimbun. The child tested negative for both COVID-19 and adenovirus, but it is unclear whether he has a pre-existing condition. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare did not disclose other information such as the child's age, gender, and place of residence.
UK Health Official: Unexplained acute hepatitis or associated with adenovirus type 41
According to the Associated Press, British health officials are investigating the cause of the surge in acute hepatitis cases in children. They found that there is growing evidence that the disease is linked to a common virus.
Since January, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has documented 111 cases of unexplained acute hepatitis in children under 10 years of age, 10 of whom require liver transplants.
So far, at least 169 cases of unexplained acute hepatitis have been reported, one of which has died, according to the World Health Organization recently.
On April 25, local time, UKHSA said in a statement that although it is not clear what causes these diseases, it is mainly suspected to be adenovirus, because adenovirus has been detected in 75% of confirmed cases.
Adenovirus is a common virus that is currently spreading among children at a higher rate than the average in previous years after falling to unusually low levels during the pandemic.
One avenue that health officials are exploring is that the hepatitis outbreak could be linked to a surge in common viral infections following the phasing out of lockdowns. Children who have not been exposed to adenoviruses in the past two years may be hit harder when they begin to be exposed to these viruses.
Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infectious Diseases at UKHSA, said: "The increasing amount of information gathered through our surveys suggests that this rise in sudden hepatitis cases in children is linked to adenovirus infection. However, we are thoroughly investigating other potential causes. ”
U.S. authorities said earlier this month they were investigating nine cases of unexplained acute hepatitis in Alabama who also tested positive for adenovirus. Local officials are exploring links to a particular virus, adenovirus type 41, which is often associated with inflammation in the gut.
UK health officials have ruled out any link to the COVID-19 vaccine as these child cases have not been vaccinated.
In addition, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced on April 25 that a child under the age of 16 in Japan was diagnosed with unexplained acute hepatitis, and the child tested negative for the new crown virus and is currently hospitalized. This is the first reported case of unexplained acute hepatitis in Asia.