There are currently over 160 children diagnosed with sudden onset hepatitis in the UK, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has shown that an additional 18 cases have been recorded since Tuesday, May 3. From the 160, 11 children have needed a liver transplant. None of the children have died.
Across the rest of the world, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said there are around 300 probable cases of severe hepatitis in children in 20 countries worldwide. The cause of an increase in the condition is currently unknown, but health officials are investigating, Wales Online reports.
Officials predict the surge could be caused by a common virus called adenovirus, which surged after the pandemic. This is because the virus is the most detected virus in those samples that have been tested.
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But the UKHSA is continuing to look into other factors which could be contributing to the spike, as it is not common to see hepatitis following adenovirus infection in previously well children. These other factors include previous Covid infection or a change in the adenovirus genome itself.
The most common symptoms of hepatitis in children in the UK are vomiting and jaundice, and most of the cases have been detected in children under five years old. Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA, said: “It’s important that parents know the likelihood of their child developing hepatitis is extremely low.
“However, 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. Our investigations continue to suggest that there is an association with adenovirus and our studies are now testing this association rigorously.”
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