Dr Simon Taylor Robinson, a British expert, has revealed that there are likely to be more cases of idiopathic hepatitis in Britain, following recording more than 114 reported cases.
Leading virologists fear that the true toll of infection might in fact be many orders of magnitude higher because many parents may ignore the warning signs..
According to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”, jaundice – yellowing of the skin or eyes, a telltale sign of liver disease – was observed in less than half of the sick children, in addition to dark urine, change in the shape of the skin, feeling muscle pain, and other symptoms. , such as nausea, diarrhea, lethargy, and stomach pain are usually attributed to other illnesses, such as food poisoning or norovirus, as there are believed to be more cases out there..
Simon Taylor Robinson, a hepatologist from Imperial College London, UK, said 17 transplants is a very high number for the number of cases we’re monitoring.
The global outbreak of hepatitis that began in the UK earlier this month has led to 169 global cases and one death, including 11 in the US..
She indicated that 9 cases were discovered in the United States in the state of Alabama, with two additional cases discovered by health officials in North Carolina.
The newspaper added, experts are not sure exactly what causes the resurgence of the virus, and it might be linked to either the adenovirus or the Corona virus.
Experts warned Monday that dozens of mysterious hepatitis cases detected in children may be just the “tip of the iceberg”, amid growing concerns regarding the mysterious global outbreak. Nearly 170 children around the world have contracted the disease since the first case was discovered in Scotland in At the end of March, according to the World Health Organization, one child died and 17 needed a liver transplant as a result, 11 of these cases were detected in the United States, including 9 in Alabama and 2 in North Carolina.
And she confirmed, that 12 countries were monitored in which cases of hepatitis of unknown origin appeared, with 114 cases discovered in the United Kingdom, and the newspaper indicated, that investigations are underway, but officials have not ruled out following blaming a new type of corona, there is another theory that children may have been fighting the virus. gland at the same time with Corona.
Experts claim that coronavirus lockdowns may be behind the mysterious wave of hepatitis cases in children because they have reduced social mixing and weakened their immunity..
UK health officials have ruled out the Corona vaccine as a possible cause, as none of the British children were vaccinated due to their young age, and none of the cases in the US were among the vaccinated children either..
“I think it’s likely that children who mix in kindergarten and school have lower immunity to seasonal adenovirus than in previous years because of the restrictions, and that means they may be more susceptible to hepatitis because Their immune response is weaker than the virus.
He explained, that children are less likely to complain of symptoms compared to adults, and urged parents to be careful of early problems including stomach pain and yellowing eyes, but added that there is no reason to panic because in “99%” of cases the liver is able to regenerate and chances are Need to transplant or die from this condition
The newspaper pointed out that the heads of the World Health Organization received reports of at least 169 cases of “acute hepatitis of unknown origin” from 12 countries, with cases detected in children aged between one month and 16 years, most of whom were hospitalized, The World Health Organization did not reveal the country in which the only known death occurred.
The first cases of hepatitis were recorded in Britain, where 114 children have been infected so far, 13 cases were detected in Spain, 12 in Israel, and the unusual disease was also monitored in Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Norway, Romania and Belgium..
The World Health Organization said: “It is not yet clear whether there has been an increase in cases of Lever Inflammationor an increase in awareness of hepatitis cases occurring at the expected rate but undetected, however, other scientists have confirmed that the number of severe cases in children is unusual..
Richard Peabody, who heads the dangerous pathogens team at the World Health Organization, stressed that although the numbers are not large, the consequences were very severe, adding, that none of the cases were caused by any of the five typical strains of the virus. A And B And C And D And E.
Experts say the cases may be linked to a virus commonly associated with the common cold, known as adenovirus, but more research is still being done..
The World Health Organization confirmed: “While adenovirus is a possible hypothesis, investigations are ongoing into the causative agent“.
UK Health Security Agency experts have been called to a briefing at the European Conference on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Lisbon today to present statements on the current situation in Britain..
Scientists have claimed they can’t rule out coronavirus as a possible cause of the outbreak – and have also suggested it might be a new type of coronavirus.
Dr Moog Civic, an infectious disease expert at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, cautioned that the virus was a possible explanation – but noted that hepatitis was not a common feature of infection in children.
He said, acute hepatitis was not a common feature of MERS in children, so it is unlikely that this presentation would explain.
Adenovirus detectedAdenovirus ‘common cold virus’ in 40 out of 53 cases, but not all cases tested Adenovirus testing was inconsistent in other samples, too early to confirm the characterization, ‘It is important for all countries to share their data as soon as it is available.’
