A recent spate of severe liver inflammation - also known as hepatitis - has been reported in previously healthy children.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have been conducting an ongoing investigation into the cause behind the rising cases of hepatitis amongst children in the UK since the beginning of the month. As of April 21, there have been 169 confirmed cases of “acute hepatitis of unknown origin” in children in 12 countries, with the vast majority of cases (114) occurring in the UK. Many of the children are under ten years old.
Cheryl Walter, a lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of Hull, says that what has been most concerning for health professionals reporting on these cases is the severity of the disease in the otherwise healthy children. Seventeen have needed a liver transplant, and one child has died of liver failure.
