Medical News, Hepatitis
New Hepatitis Outbreak in Children worldwide- WHO says atleast 650 children have been affected
Six hundred and fifty probable cases of acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology in children have been reported to WHO from 33 countries in five WHO Regions between 5 April and 26 May 2022.
New data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that hundreds of children have developed mysterious hepatitis symptoms in recent months.(source)
The WHO reported that at least 38 of the children ended up needing liver transplants, and nine had died due to the symptoms of hepatitis.
The U.K. has reported the highest number of cases with 222. The U.S. has reported 216 suspected cases. Most children affected by the condition were under the age of five.
The cause of the mysterious hepatitis remains unknown, although officials suspect a type of virus called an adenovirus may be involved. At least 180 children with hepatitis were tested for adenovirus, and 110 tested positive.
Of the children tested for adenovirus in the U.K., about 75 percent tested positive. Officials are also concerned that exposure to COVID-19 could be linked to the condition, but of 188 children given PCR tests for COVID-19 only 12 percent tested positive.
Officials say it’s possible that a coinfection with COVID-19 or a previous COVID-19 infection could be related to these cases, but more investigation is needed.
The first registered Cases date back to 2021
Dr. Jay Butler, CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases, said these cases date to October 2021. (source)
“Fifteen days ago, CDC issued a nationwide health alert to notify clinicians and public health authorities about an investigation involving nine children in Alabama identified between October of 2021 and February of 2022 with hepatitis or inflammation of the liver and adenovirus infection,” said Butler.
All nine children in Alabama tested positive for adenovirus, a common virus that typically causes mild cold or flu-like symptoms or stomach and intestinal problems. They came from different areas in the state.
“We’re casting a broad net to increase our understanding,” he said. “As we learn more, we’ll share additional information and updates.”
Regarding any role COVID-19 may play in these, Butler added, “we are not aware of cases that are occurring in kids that have documented COVID-19. But it’s a question that I think is still unanswered.”
The cause of latest hepatitis outbreak is still a mystery
While the increase in new cases worldwide is a cause of concern, what is more concerning is not knowing the origin of this hepatitis.
Symptoms of hepatitis
It’s important for parents to reach out to their pediatrician if they are concerned their child could have signs of hepatitis.
Hepatitis refers to the liver being inflamed and is most commonly caused by medications, viruses, or exposure to certain chemicals, according to Shapiro.
Once the liver is affected, it loses its ability to clear certain substances from the blood, including a blood product called bilirubin.
Without bilirubin, a child can become jaundiced, resulting in a yellowish color in their skin and eyes.
When the liver stops working, we start accumulating all these chemicals in our bodies that we usually flush away. The child will start having a yellow colour in their skin and the white part of the eyes – That’s one of the most common things that we can see when we have it.
Other symptoms include dark urine and stools becoming white, he said.
Things your child’s Pediatrician should know
Parents who suspect their child has hepatitis should be ready to provide certain information to healthcare providers.
There are vaccines that protect against the hepatitis A virus and hepatitis B virus. Parents should let their physicians know if their child has been vaccinated against either of those viruses.
You should also know where your child was and if anybody was sick around them and let the physicians know.
While what’s causing these cases is still a mystery, experts are trying to pin down a definitive cause.
The most common causes are chemicals, medications, and viruses, then we need to figure out if it was something that they were consuming, if it was medication that they all were using, or is this a virus or other viruses that we don’t suspect yet, to figure out which it is.
Conclusion
The WHO has announced new data on the mysterious hepatitis cases affecting children. They found at least 650 potential cases of hepatitis affecting children nationwide.
Experts say that there are few possible causes for this outbreak, and information gathering should help find which is responsible.
They also say that parents who suspect their child has hepatitis should be ready to provide information, including vaccine history, where the child was, and with whom they had contact.
