Los Communicable Disease Centers (CDC) of USA sent out a nationwide health alert, warning doctors to be on the lookout for symptoms of hepatitis of unknown origin that affects children and might be related to infection with adenovirus, a virus that causes the common cold.
The alert directs doctors to report any suspected case of hepatitis in children of unknown origin to your state and local health departments.
The warning follows investigations in the United States and Europe into cases of hepatitis in young children. The CDC said that are working with their counterparts in Europe to understand the cause of infections.
Mysterious Hepatitis Cases Rise in Europe’s Children
The European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) announced last Tuesday that cases of childhood hepatitis of unknown origin were detected in UK and four other countries.
“Following reported cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin by the UK Health Security Agency” in early April, “additional cases were reported in children in Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain“, indicates the European agency in a statement.
Nine suspected cases were also identified in children aged 1 to 6 years in Alabama, United Statesaccording to the ECDC.
“Investigations continue in all countries reporting cases. Currently, the exact origin of hepatitis remains unknown,” the ECDC said, but British researchers “they consider that it is most likely to be infectious due to the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the cases”.
Last Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said to expect new cases in the next few daysconfirming “less than five” in Ireland and three in Spain.
Until now no deaths have been recordedbut some children in the UK required liver transplantation.
“Laboratory investigations of all cases ruled out viral hepatitis of type A, B, C, D or E“.
Among the British cases, “many showed signs of jaundice (yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes) and some patients reported gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting in previous weeks,” according to the ECDC.
Adenovirus 41 suspected
scientists work to identify the origin of hepatitis mysteriesIt affects children under 10.
The greatest concern, at the moment, is to decipher the origin and how the infection occurs; so far it has been ruled out that it might be the COVID vaccinebecause none of the children had been vaccinated.
The main hypothesis is that the culprit It’s probably some kind of virus. more specifically adenovirus 41.
Adenoviruses are very common and mostly cause mild illnesses, such as colds and diarrhoea. There are more than a hundred described and 49 are very common in humans.
Adenovirus 41 might be attacking children who they do not have a well-developed immune system.
