This year, 450 cases and 11 fatalities have been connected to a strange hepatitis outbreak among children worldwide.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), experts recorded about 105 cases in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA).
Italy has 35, and Spain has 22 cases. Meanwhile, most countries, such as Sweden (9), Denmark (6), and Austria (2), have fewer than 10 cases.
As of May 3, 163 cases were reported from the United Kingdom, 11 of which required liver transplants. Other nations where cases have been reported include Argentina, Canada, Israel, Japan, Indonesia, and Serbia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States reported over 100 cases and five deaths.
Update: #Hepatitis of unknown aetiology in children - 11 May 2022
— ECDC Outbreaks (@ECDC_Outbreaks) May 11, 2022
Approximately 106 cases have been identified in 14 EU/EEA countries and 450 cases are reported worldwide.
The cause of the disease is still under investigation.
Read more: https://t.co/B0lLm7I0dV
Mystery Behind Hepatitis Outbreak Worldwide
The exact cause of the diseases is yet unknown, while investigators are investigating a possible link to adenovirus.
"At present, the leading hypotheses remain those which involve adenovirus, but I think with also still an important consideration about the role of COVID as well, either as a co-infection or as a past infection," said Philippa Easterbrook, a senior scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO) in a press briefing.
She noted that 70 percent of individuals tested for adenovirus were positive.
Adenovirus infections were widespread in youngsters in Park, and some instances surfaced when population transmission was strong, according to Ars Technica. Furthermore, no adenovirus was detected in the afflicted children's liver biopsies.
The results from the United Kingdom on that critical case-control research evaluating whether the detection rate of adenovirus in children with liver illness differs from that in other hospitalized children would be available within the week, Easterbrook added. She believed the results would assist in identifying whether viral detection is "causal" or "accidental."
An Indian boy stands near a replica of the Hepatitis virus, a part of an awareness event in Mumbai on July 28, 2014. World Hepatitis Day is an annual event on July 28 to provide international focus for patient groups and people living with viral hepatitis and an opportunity to raise awareness and influence real change in disease prevention and access to testing and treatment.
ALSO READ: Hepatitis Mystery Strain Affected 108 Children in the UK With 8 Requiring Liver Transplant
In April, the WHO stated that the rise in incidence might be due to increased awareness of hepatitis illnesses that would otherwise go unreported.
About Adenovirus and Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a liver infection caused most usually by viruses, although drugs and chemicals can also cause it.
Adenoviruses are widespread, causing respiratory sickness, but they can also cause stomach discomfort, pink eye, and bladder infections, CNBC reported.
It travel from person to person and most usually cause respiratory infection, ISDE.net added. However, they can also cause gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, and cystitis, depending on the kind.
Diarrhea, vomiting, and fever are common symptoms of Adenovirus type 41, commonly followed by respiratory problems.
While viral infection has been linked to hepatitis in immunocompromised children, adenovirus type 41 does not induce hepatitis in otherwise healthy children.
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