Glasgow, London, San Francisco A hitherto unnoticed virus and other factors might be behind a rise in unexplained hepatitis cases in children worldwide. This is suggested independently by three studies in the journal “Nature”. The return of children to kindergartens and schools following the corona lockdowns might also play a role.
In April 2022, mysterious and sometimes severe cases of hepatitis – an inflammation of the liver – occurred in previously healthy children in whom no hepatitis viruses might be detected. In July, the WHO reported a good 1,000 sick children in 35 countries. Around 50 of the patients, some of whom were very young, required a liver transplant, and at least 22 died. The studies that have now been published from Great Britain and the USA suggest a connection with the adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2): The research groups found high concentrations of the virus in blood and liver tissue samples from affected children.
Until now, AAV2 was thought not to cause disease. In addition, AAV2 itself is not able to infect cells: it needs other viruses to multiply. In fact, the team from University College London found small traces of a human adenovirus and a herpes virus in addition to AAV2, which might act as “helper viruses”. The scientists suspect that these allow AAV2 to multiply and contribute to the severity of liver damage.
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