Warning about a series of mysterious hepatitis cases
England and Scotland have recorded about 70 cases of children under 10 years old infected with a mysterious hepatitis disease, and authorities are investigating the cause.
After testing, doctors found that the children were not infected with any of the five common hepatitis viruses: A, BC, D, E. Dr. Meera Chand, Clinical Director and Emerging Infections at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said a series of investigations are underway into the potential cause of the disease.
The children were all aged between one and five. UKHSA experts suspect they had Covid-19 or another infection that later developed hepatitis. The agency said there was no evidence to suggest that the Covid-19 vaccine was involved in the cases, as most of the children were too young to be vaccinated.
“We are working with partners to disseminate the situation to healthcare providers, to identify children with the novel hepatitis early and perform appropriate testing,” said Dr Chand.
Parents should watch out for symptoms such as jaundice, most visible in the whites of the eyes, and contact a specialist, he said.
Scotland alone has recorded 11 cases, more than the average for this time of year. Health authorities say it is unusual for such a large number of cases and such severe symptoms to be reported in such a short period of time.
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| Graphic image of virus samples. Photo: Alamy |
Public Health Scotland said the hepatitis cases were not linked. The investigation was at an early stage, according to Dr Nicholas Phin, head of the agency.
"If a child shows signs of jaundice or yellowing of the whites of the eyes, parents should contact their GP or healthcare professional. We are continuing to investigate these cases and will provide further information as soon as possible," he said.
Hepatitis usually has no specific symptoms, but common symptoms include dark urine, pale stools, itchy skin, yellow eyes and jaundice. Patients may also experience muscle pain, joint pain, fever, nausea and unusual fatigue.
Hepatitis A and E are usually spread through the fecal-oral route. Hepatitis B, C, and D are transmitted through blood, sexual contact, and from mother to child.
