The World Health Organization (WHO) is tracking the growing number of cases of hepatitis in children across the United Kingdom after six kids had to undergo liver transplants.
The medical watchdog was told that about 10 cases of severe acute hepatitis were found in children in Scotland on April 5. The WHO was then notified three days later of a further 74 cases in the rest of the United Kingdom. More hepatitis cases in kids in the U.K. are likely to be reported in the coming days.
No deaths from hepatitis had been recorded among children as of April 11, though some of them had been transferred to specialist liver units. One epidemiologically linked case has been identified, which means a patient has had contact with one or more people who either have hepatitis or have been exposed to a point source of infection.
Rise in hepatitis cases possibly linked to adenovirus infection
Dr. Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at the U.K. Health Security Agency, said that officials were working across the four nations to investigate a wide range of possible factors which may be causing kids in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to be admitted to hospitals with liver inflammation known as hepatitis.
Chand told the Guardian that one of the possible causes they are investigating is that the rise in hepatitis cases is linked to the adenovirus infection. Chand made it clear, however, that they are thoroughly investigating other potential causes.
Other explanations being investigated by the U.K. health officials include whether or not COVID-19 could have played a role in the unusual number of hepatitis cases. Officials pointed out there was no link between the rise in hepatitis cases and the COVID-19 vaccine, as none of the children affected by the disease had received a jab.
The WHO said that lab tests had excluded the usual viruses that cause hepatitis. The organization awaits the results of further tests for chemicals, toxins, and infections.
Chand said they are calling on parents and guardians to be alert to the signs of hepatitis with their children, including jaundice, and to contact a healthcare professional if they are concerned.
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Hepatitis cases rising in the U.K. since January
Since January, there have been 49 recorded cases of hepatitis in England, 13 in Scotland, and 12 across Northern Ireland and Wales. Since its identification in the United Kingdom, fewer than five cases have been reported in Ireland, with further investigations ongoing in that country. Three cases of acute hepatitis have also been reported in children in Spain.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, viral hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ in the body that filters the blood, fights infections, and processes nutrients. When the liver is damaged or inflamed, its function can be affected.
Hepatitis is often caused by a virus, with the most common types of viral hepatitis in the United States being hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
