Scientists are reportedly exploring a possible link between a mysterious rise in cases of hepatitis among children and an adenovirus in dogs.
It comes after it was found that "relatively high numbers" of children affected with the liver disease either came from families with the pets or had exposure to them.
On Friday (May 6), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that cases of hepatitis had risen from 18 to 163 in a week, with 11 children requiring liver transplants due to severe organ damage.
With cases of the virus usually very rare, scientists are exploring the possible links to dogs, according to a new report. However, the experts noted that owning a dog is “common in the UK” and that there was “limited data on background rates of pet ownership in families of young children," The Telegraph reports.
And Prof Francois Balloux, director of the University College London Genetics Institute, said that he could not think of “any sensible explanation” for a potential link between exposure to canines and hepatitis infection in young people.
“Dogs carry their own adenoviruses, including CAV-1, a dog liver pathogen, but there’s no prior evidence at all for CAV-1 being able to infect humans,” he told The Telegraph.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that approximately 300 cases of the illness had now been reported across at least 20 countries. Three fatalities were reported in Indonesia this week, bringing the total death toll to four, though most cases of the illness have been reported in Europe. The working theory is that the outbreak is linked to an adenovirus, after 72 per cent of children who were screened for the pathogen were found to be positive.
The UKHSA also suspects that the Covid-19 lockdowns may be a contributing factor - by weakening children's immunity through a lack of exposure to common pathogens and making them more susceptible to the illness. Experts are also exploring the theory that the virus has combined with another infection, such as Sars-Cov-2.
Scientists also noted that 14 per cent of children affected across the UK recently tested positive for Covid, and have been careful not to rule out a link between the hepatitis cases and recent Covid-19 infection.
Director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA, Dr Meera Chand, urged parents to look out for symptoms of hepatitis, which include jaundice, vomiting and pale stools. "It’s important that parents know the likelihood of their child developing hepatitis is extremely low,” she said. “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.”
Other symptoms of Hepatitis include muscle and joint pain, a high temperature, feeling unusually tired all the time, a general sense of feeling unwell and loss of appetite, according to the NHS. Tummy pain, dark urine and itchy skin can also occur.
Long-term (chronic) hepatitis can lead to liver failure.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
