11 cases of hepatitis in young children across Scotland's central belt have been identified, Public Health Scotland (PHS) has warned.
Hepatitis, the term used to describe inflammation of the liver, has been found in children aged between one and five years old who have been admitted to hospital across the central belt.
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There is no clear connection between the cases but PHS has shared that the cases were recorded by four NHS Health Board areas in Scotland, mostly in March, including; Lanarkshire, Tayside, GGC, and Fife.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also recently detected "higher than usual rates" of liver inflammation, with approximately 60 cases under investigation in England alongside Scotland's 11.
"We’re asking parents and carers to be vigilant for symptoms of jaundice in children as we’ve detected higher than usual rates of liver inflammation in children," the health body wrote on Twitter.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis?
- Dark urine
- Pale, grey-coloured poo
- Itchy skin
- Yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)
- Muscle and joint pain
- A high temperature
- Feeling and being sick
- Feeling unusually tired all the time
- Loss of appetite
- Tummy pain
What causes hepatitis in a child?
Hepatitis in children can be caused by many things. Your child can get hepatitis by being exposed to a virus that causes it.
Although the common viruses that cause hepatitis have not been detected in the cases under investigation, these viruses can include:
- Hepatitis viruses. There are five main types of the hepatitis virus: A, B, C, D, and E
- Cytomegalovirus. This virus is a part of the herpes virus family
- Epstein-Barr virus. The virus causes mononucleosis
- Herpes simplex virus. Herpes can affect the face, the skin above the waist, or the genitals
- Varicella zoster virus (chickenpox). A complication of this virus is hepatitis. But this happens very rarely in children
- Enteroviruses. This is a group of viruses often seen in children. They include coxsackie viruses and echoviruses
- Rubella. This is a mild disease that causes a rash
- Adenovirus. This is a group of viruses that causes colds, tonsillitis, and ear infections in children. They can also cause diarrhoea.
- Parvovirus. This virus causes fifth disease. Symptoms include a slapped-cheek rash on the face.
"Conditions can also cause hepatitis in children. These can include autoimmune liver disease," warns Stanford Children's Health.
The health body continues: "For this disease, your child’s immune system makes antibodies that attack the liver. This causes inflammation that leads to hepatitis."
How serious is hepatitis?
The NHS says: "Some types will pass without any serious problems, while others can be long-lasting (chronic) and cause scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), loss of liver function and, in some cases, liver cancer."
The health body adds: "In the later stages it can cause jaundice, swelling in the legs, ankles and feet, confusion, and blood in your stools or vomit."
