Mystery surrounds how more than 100 children in the UK have suffered from a hepatitis condition. Eight of the children have been so ill they have needed liver transplants.
In the latest update, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said a further 34 cases of the sudden liver inflammation have been identified, bringing the total across the UK to 108. So far 79 of the affected youngsters are in England, 14 are in Scotland and the remainder are in Wales and Northern Ireland.
All the children affected presented to health services between January 2022 and April 12 2022. The UKHSA said Covid-19 vaccines were not causing the cases as none of the children had had a jab.
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Cases have also been reported in the US, Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain but scientists are still unsure what is causing them.
They suspect a virus and have not ruled out coronavirus. However the prime suspect is a family of common viruses called adenoviruses that usually cause a range of mild illnesses including colds, vomiting and diarrhoea. Most people recover without complications.
Some experts believe children’s weakened immune systems following repeat lockdowns could be a factor. Dr Meera Chand, director of infections at UKHSA, said: “We are working with the NHS and public health colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to swiftly investigate a wide range of possible factors which may be causing children to be admitted to hospital with liver inflammation known as hepatitis.
“Information gathered through our investigations increasingly suggests that this is linked to adenovirus infection. However, we are thoroughly investigating other potential causes. Normal hygiene measures such as thorough handwashing (including supervising children) and good thorough respiratory hygiene, help to reduce the spread of many common infections, including adenovirus. We are also calling on parents and guardians, to be alert to the signs of hepatitis (including jaundice) and to contact a healthcare professional if they are concerned.”
Hepatitis symptoms include dark urine, grey-coloured poo, itchy skin, jaundice, high temperature, vomiting, loss of appetite, muscle and joint pain. It is usually caused by viruses hepatitis A to E but in these cases the children were found not to have had any so the cause is still unknown.
Dr Kimberly Marsh, an epidemiologist at Public Health Scotland, wrote in the journal Eurosurveillance that children could be “immunologically naive” to the virus because of pandemic restrictions. She said: “The leading hypotheses centre around adenovirus — either a new variant with a distinct clinical syndrome or a routinely circulating variant that is more severely impacting younger children who are immunologically naive. The latter scenario may be the result of restricted social mixing during the pandemic.”
Earlier this month, Public Health Wales said it was working with Public Health Scotland (PHS), Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to investigate cases of acute hepatitis in children. They said the cause of these were not yet known, but the most common causes from hepatitis viruses have been ruled out.
Dr Giri Shankar, Director of Health Protection for Public Health Wales, said: "Hepatitis can cause jaundice and inflammation of the liver, so parents and carers should be aware of the symptoms of jaundice – including skin with a yellow tinge which is most easily seen in the whites of the eyes.
"We are reminding the public to familiarise themselves with this and other symptoms of hepatitis in light of these UK cases. Parents and carers are reminded that they should keep their children away from school and seek advice from a GP or an appropriate specialist if their child experiences any symptoms linked with hepatitis."
