An adenovirus might be the cause of the multiplication of cases of hepatitis in children. A dozen countries are concerned. The pathology is spreading among the youngest, without yet certain medical explanations.
While Covid-19 is still raging, since the beginning of April 2022, a mysterious hepatitis has unexplained and sometimes seriously affected children.
The number of cases is increasing in Europe, especially in France. This rare disease worries the World Health Organization (WHO), because it mainly affects children under 5 years old.
The first research carried out advanced the thesis of an adenovirus, which might be the cause.
The nearly 200 children affected by this sudden illness are considered unexplained cases of pediatric hepatitis. Their number has multiplied in recent weeks, in Great Britain, Spain, Israel and France, in particular. A dozen countries are concerned.
17 young patients required a transplant. At least one death has been reported.
Before the diagnosis, the symptoms noted are fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting.
This situation worries the WHO.
After initial examinations, a cause seems to be clear: this condition might be caused by an adenovirus, according to the preferred track. It concerns nearly half of the children affected.
An adenovirus is a microorganism contracted by contact with an infected person or with a contaminated object (a towel, for example). A disease caused by this adenovirus may be asymptomatic or may lead to respiratory disorders, pneumonia, cystitis or gastroenteritis.
However, nothing is definitive in this possible explanation. Other research is underway, also in connection with Covid-19.
