Experts investigating sudden onset hepatitis cases in children have ruled out a link with dogs, a leading professor said. Calum Semple, professor of child health and outbreak medicine at the University of Liverpool, told a briefing that investigations had found no role for either owning dogs or recent contact with dogs in cases of acute hepatitis.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) noted previously that around 70% of a sample of affected children had had recent contact with dogs or owned dogs. As of May 10, 176 people have experienced sudden onset hepatitis in the UK, of which 128 are in England, 26 in Scotland, 13 in Wales and nine in Northern Ireland.
Most cases are in children under the age 0f 10, though some teenagers have also been recently identified with the the illness. Many of those affected have experienced vomiting and diarrhoea, and cases have been reported worldwide, with the US saying on Wednesday it was investigating 180 cases.
