FIVE more children in Scotland aged 10 and below have developed hepatitis.
The total number of children in Scotland suffering from the illness, usually contracted via faeces, has now topped 31.
The news comes as the number of confirmed cases across the UK has reached 222.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is investigating whether prior Covid infection is behind the surge, but said there was “no evidence” of the condition being linked to Covid vaccinations.
Scientists had also been looking into a link between the hepatitis cases and dogs, but ruled it out last week.
A more likely culprit is thought to be adenovirus, a common virus which causes infection.
The body is now investigating “other possible causes of acute hepatitis, including some medications and toxins”.
The most common symptoms of hepatitis that come from the infection are diarrhoea and nausea, followed by jaundice - which is when skin, eyes, hands and mouth develop a yellow colouration.
According to the NHS website: “Some types [of hepatitis] will pass without any serious problems, while others can be long-lasting and causing scarring of the liver, loss of liver function and, in some cases, liver cancer.
“There’s no specific treatment for it, other than to relieve symptoms like pain, nausea and itching.”
If you are considered “high risk” of infection or the consequences of infection, you are urged to get a vaccination against hepatitis A.
Dr Renu Bindra, senior medical adviser and incident director at UKHSA, said: “We continue to remind everyone to be alert to the signs of hepatitis – particularly jaundice, look for a yellow tinge in the whites of the eyes – and contact your doctor if you are concerned.”
As it stands, there have been no confirmed fatalities from the outbreak in infection.
