published
Some of the cases identified in Scotland required transfer to a specialist liver disease unit, and six children had to undergo a transplant.
This hepatitis mainly affects children under 10 years of age.
France Press agency
World Health Organization It is monitoring cases of hepatitis in dozens of children in the UK whose origin has not yet been determined, which in some cases has required a liver transplant, it announced on Friday.
Children under 10 years
The United Kingdom initially reported 10 cases of acute hepatitis in Scotland to the World Health Organization on April 5, before reporting 74 cases three days later, according to a statement by the World Health Organization, which expects new reports in the coming days. The World Health Organization said some cases required transfer to a hepatology ward and six children had to undergo a transplant.
It added that fewer than five confirmed or probable cases had been reported in Ireland, and three in Spain. No deaths were recorded. This hepatitis mainly affects children under the age of ten, and is manifested by symptoms such as jaundice, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
The usual viruses are absent
Since the usual hepatitis viruses (A to E) are not detected in infected children, British health authorities recently indicated that they are studying the hypothesis of a type of virus (adenovirus), as well as d other possible causes such as Covid -19, other infections or environmental factors. On the other hand, they ruled out any link to the Covid vaccine which was not given to any of the confirmed cases in the UK.
In a statement, Mira Chand of the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) noted that “regular hygiene measures” such as hand washing “help reduce many of the infections we investigate” and called on parents and nannies to be vigilant for signs of hepatitis, and ” Contact a healthcare professional if they are interested.
Role ‘not yet clear’
The World Health Organization stressed that Covid-19 and/or adenovirus, which are mutating in the UK, have been detected “in several cases”, but that their role in disease development is “not yet clear”.
“No other epidemic risk factor has been identified so far, including recent international travel,” continues the World Health Organization, which is “closely monitoring the situation” and does not recommend any travel restrictions with the UK. The United States and other countries where cases have been identified.
(France Press agency)