Younger children in particular were affected by liver inflammation. Bild: dpa
Hundreds of children suddenly suffered from liver inflammation last year. Why? Studies are now confirming that a certain virus might be responsible – which is actually harmless.
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 daycare centers and schools following the corona lockdowns might also play a role.
At the beginning of 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. The World Health Organization reported in July WHO more than 1000 sick children in 35 countries, from Germany no case was listed in the corresponding list. 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 led by the University of Glasgow, University College London and the University of California found it in blood and liver tissue samples from children partly high concentrations of the virus.
AAV2 needs “helper viruses”
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.
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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.
“Liver manifestations are common with many viruses,” says physician Thomas Baumert, head of the French “Inserm” research center for, among other things, viral liver diseases at the University of Strasbourg. The fact that the infection with several viruses is the cause of the outbreaks instead of a new, unknown pathogen offers the possibility of prevention. “The results also underscore the importance of childhood immunization and suggest that we should consider developing additional vaccines once morest common pathogens.”
