Health Officials Clueless in Mysterious Outbreak of Severe Hepatitis Cases in Young Children in U.S. and Europe
Baffled scientists, doctors, and health officials in U.S. and Europe are looking for an answer to what causes young children of an unfamiliar and alarming outbreak of inflammatory liver condition or severe hepatitis.
The United Kingdom has reported at least 74 cases of severe hepatitis (49 confirmed cases in England, 13 in Scotland, and 12 in Wales and Northern Ireland), 3 in Spain, and other countries in Europe. The reported cases in England are mostly in children aged 2-5 years old.
On Friday, World Health Organization released a statement regarding the alarming cases of rare hepatitis in young children. According to WHO, the origin is “still considered unknown and remains under active investigation.”
“On 5 April 2022, WHO was notified of 10 cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology in children under the age of 10 years, across central Scotland. By 8 April, 74 cases had been identified in the United Kingdom. Hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, E, and D where applicable) have been excluded after laboratory testing while further investigations are ongoing to understand the aetiology of these cases,” WHO stated.
“Given the increase in cases reported over the past one month and enhanced case search activities, more cases are likely to be reported in the coming days,” WHO added.
The leading theory is that the unusual spike of hepatitis in young children is caused by adenovirus. This common virus can cause cold-like symptoms, fever, sore throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, and diarrhea.
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The WHO said that coronavirus and adenovirus have been detected in several cases. “Though the role of these viruses in the pathogenesis (mechanism by which disease develops) is not yet clear,” it said.
Adenoviruses are a family of common viruses that usually cause a range of mild illnesses and most people recover without complications. They can cause a range of symptoms, including colds, vomiting and diarrhoea. While they don’t typically cause hepatitis, it is a known rare complication of the virus.
“No other epidemiological risk factors have been identified to date, including recent international travel,” the WHO added in Friday’s statement. “Overall, the aetiology [cause] of the current hepatitis cases is still considered unknown and remains under active investigation.”
The UKHSA said that there is no link to the Covid vaccines. It’s understood that most affected children are too young to be eligible for vaccination.
Scientists have been left stumped by the highly unusual spike in hepatitis, which rarely affects young children.
Health managers in Scotland said the speed of the country’s epidemic, the severity of cases and geographical spread made
Source: The Gateway Pundit
