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This is a concern in the United States and around the world after cases of unexplained hepatitis in children. There have been 109 cases across the Atlantic and five children have died. Scientists around the world are working to understand why.
These are cases of acute hepatitis that most often affect very young children with an average age of only two years. More than a hundred cases in the United States and dozens of cases around the world. Because of their young age, the children in question were not vaccinated against Covid-19. On the other hand, Covid-19 infection itself is not excluded as a possible cause.
Adenovirus
Health authorities prefer to track a specific type of adenovirus, which are fairly common, but have not previously caused cases of hepatitis in healthy children. More than half of infected children in the United States have tested positive for a specific adenovirus, but it has been known to cause gastroenteritis until now.
toxins
One hypothesis is that the interaction with this adenovirus may be disrupted by another factor, such as infection with Covid-19 or environmental factors, for example contact with animals or poison. This pathway is closely studied by researchers around the world.
Read also: Cases of severe hepatitis in children have been reported in several countries
