Eleven countries, including the United States, have reported at least 169 cases of severe acute hepatitis in children aged 1 month to 16 years with the largest outbreak in the United Kingdom, according to the latest WHO report. At least 17 children needed liver transplants and one patient died. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver most often caused by viruses, but drugs and toxins can also cause the condition. “What is particularly unusual is that most of these children were previously healthy,” said Dr. Philippa Easterbrook, WHO staff member who monitors hepatitis, during a Q&A session that was broadcast live on the organization’s social media. health on Thursday. At least 74 of the children have tested positive for adenovirus, according to the WHO. Adenoviruses are common and usually cause respiratory diseases, but they can also cause stomach pain, pink eyes and bladder infections. The severe hepatitis epidemic in children coincided with the increased transmission of adenovirus in countries such as the United Kingdom, according to the WHO. “This does not prove at this stage that there is a causal link to these cases, but it is a promising interesting early message that will be examined in more detail,” Easterbrook said. Adenovirus, in rare cases, has been linked to hepatitis in children with weakened immune systems, according to Dr. Richard Peabody, who leads the WHO Europe High-Risk Group of Pathogens. However, adenovirus is not a known cause of hepatitis in healthy children, according to the WHO. “This is an unusual phenomenon we are seeing and we are notifying parents and public health authorities about it,” Peabody said. At least 20 of the children had Covid, with 19 of them being positive for the virus as well as the adenovirus, according to WHO data. Peabody said it was possible that Covid was playing a role in the outbreak of hepatitis, although it is not clear and more research is needed. The United Kingdom first informed the WHO of an outbreak of severe acute hepatitis in children earlier this month. The most common symptoms were inflammation of the liver, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting and jaundice, according to the WHO. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week issued a nationwide health alert following nine cases of hepatitis in children ages 1 to 6 in Alabama. All nine children had liver damage with some form of liver failure, according to the CDC. The CDC also believes that adenovirus may be the cause, although the public health service said investigations are ongoing. Easterbrook said health officials have largely ruled out hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses as a possible cause. Hepatitis viruses have not been detected in any of the reported cases, according to the WHO. Other viruses such as CMV and Epstein Barr also do not appear to be responsible for the outbreak, Easterbrook said. The children’s parents have so far not reported a joint exposure to a drug, toxin, food or travel destination, he said. The WHO also largely ruled out vaccination against Covid-19 as a possible cause because the majority of children did not receive the vaccines, Easterbrook said.
