A lack of exposure to a common virus during Covid restrictions could be behind the surge in hepatitis cases among young children, experts have suggested. Health officials are urgently investigating the rise in cases which has led to more than 100 children needing hospital care and liver transplants for 10 British children.
Since the start of the year, 111 children have required hospital care for liver inflammation (hepatitis), with the majority of cases occurring among children under the age of five. The leading line of inquiry is that the cases are being fuelled by a common virus called the adenovirus.
This virus usually causes mild illnesses including stomach upsets and colds. But one theory is that the virus is leading to more severe illness among some children due to “susceptibility, for example due to lack of prior exposure during the pandemic”, according to a technical briefing from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
