Unexplained cases of hepatitis in children

Unexplained cases of hepatitis detected among children in five European countries and the United States are now being investigated by health authorities.

In Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, more cases of hepatitis have been reported than are usually reported among children. It is reported that the cause of hepatitis, or jaundice, as it is sometimes called, is not yet known BBC.

Hepatitis is usually the result of a viral infection, but it can also be caused by exposure to certain chemicals and medications, some genetic disorders, and increased alcohol consumption. There are five main types of hepatitis caused by specific viruses, A, B, CE, and D. However, none of these viruses appear to cause hepatitis detected in children.

Under investigation by the European Union Infection Control Authority

The European Agency for the Control of Communicable Diseases did not specify the number of cases found in the four European Union countries, but according to the World Health Organization, three cases were detected in Spain and less than five in Ireland. The BBC writes that the World Health Organization has added that it is likely that more cases will be discovered in the coming days.

At the end of the European Union, according to the ECDC, investigations are underway to find out the causes of the infection. According to the BBC, the Alabama Public Health Agency said that nine cases of hepatitis had been detected among children under the age of six and that two of them needed liver transplants. Investigations into similar cases are still ongoing in other US states.

Most cases in the UK

In the UK, most cases of hepatitis are detected among children, with 74 reported even. Britain’s Health Security Agency said last week that the common viruses that cause infectious hepatitis A to E have not been detected in British cases, so investigators are looking at other possible causes and suspecting common adenovirus may be the cause.

Adenovirus is a family of viruses that often cause mild respiratory infections such as the common cold in young children. Other causes of hepatitis in children are also being investigated, including covid-19. The Health Security Agency, according to the BBC, said there was no clear link to the Covid-19 vaccine.

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