Another 34 children in Britain have been affected by hepatitis as the mysterious epidemic continues to spread around the world.
Health officials have confirmed that nearly three dozen cases of liver inflammation have been found in people aged 10 and under since Monday, bringing the total in the UK to 145.
Of these, 108 are in England, 17 are in Scotland, 11 are in Wales and nine are in Northern Ireland. Ten of these young men needed a liver transplant, but no deaths were reported.
This comes when experts warned that the cause of the particular model of hepatitis – which has been seen in 200 children worldwide since March – will not be known for months.
It has been confirmed worldwide that one child has died and another death is currently being investigated in the United States. At least 18 young patients needed a liver transplant.
None of the cases were positive for normal viruses that cause hepatitis, which left scientists puzzled about the origin of the disease.
Professor Alistair Sutcliffe, a leading pediatrician at University College London, said MailOnline’s health executives may not know the cause until later this summer.
A common virus is thought to be involved, which usually causes the common cold, known as adenovirus.
But there are a number of conflicting theories as to why the harmless virus usually causes critical illness in young, previously healthy children.
More than 200 children have contracted the disease worldwide in up to 14 countries since last October * cases in Canada, Japan and Wisconsin, Illinois and New York have not yet been confirmed
In an update today, the UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said its findings continue to suggest that the adenovirus may be behind the sudden onset of hepatitis.
Most of the cases are among children under the age of five, but a “small number” of children over the age of 10 are also being investigated, UKHSA reported.
Affected children initially suffer from diarrhea and nausea, followed by jaundice – yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes.
But the UKHSA said it was not typical to see this pattern of adenovirus symptoms, so it is still investigating other causes, including Covid himself.
He also noted that the blockade may have weakened children’s immunity and made them more susceptible to the virus, or it may have mutated a version of the adenovirus.
The agency works with scientists and doctors from across the country to “answer these questions as quickly as possible.”
Experts are also investigating whether a new variant of the coronavirus is responsible or whether it may be a previous or concomitant Covid infection.
Hepatitis is usually rare in children, but experts have already noticed more cases of the current epidemic in Britain than they usually expect in a year.
The cases are of “unknown origin” and are also serious, according to the World Health Organization.
There are 27 suspected and confirmed cases in the United States, seven of which were announced in California yesterday. The death of a child in Wisconsin is being investigated by officials.
Scientists have previously suggested that the cases may be just the tip of the iceberg, and are more likely to be there than have been seen so far.
But Professor Sutcliffe said: “With modern methods, computer science, advanced computing, real-time PCR and full genome screening, I think it will take three months to find the cause with some reliability.”
Professor Sutcliffe said finding the cause could be delayed by bureaucracy across international borders, with difficulties in transporting biomaterials between countries.
Parental consent, data protection and laws governing the use of human tissue in the UK could delay research, he said.
Finding an unknown cause is particularly difficult, as cases can have many factors behind them that are not consistent in all diseases.
Professor Deirdre Kelly, a pediatric hepatologist at the University of Birmingham, also told MailOnline it would take months to find the cause.
She said: ‘[These are] complex investigations that take time.
UK health officials have ruled out the Covid vaccine as a possible cause, and none of the sick British children have been vaccinated because of their young age.
Covid’s lock may be behind a mysterious stream of hepatitis cases in children because they reduced social mixing and weakened their immunity, experts say
Liver experts describe the many cases as “worrying”, but say parents should not worry about the disease that affects their children.
An employee of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the disease was “quite rare”, but assessed the risk to children as “high” due to the potential impact.
The risk to European children cannot be accurately assessed, as the evidence of interpersonal transmission is unclear and cases in the European Union are “sporadic with a vague trend”, the report said.
However, given the unknown causes of the disease and the potential severity of the disease, the ECDC said the outbreak was “a worrying event for public health”.
The rise in hepatitis was first reported in Scotland on March 31, with one child hospitalized in January.
The Scottish case dates back to January.
At least one child has died from the mysterious disease so far, according to the World Health Organization.
Wisconsin is the only state in the United States to report suspected infant deaths from hepatitis. If confirmed, it will be the second in the world.
Government officials confirmed to DailyMail.com that the child developed the disease after being infected with adenovirus.
Most of the infected children are under the age of 10, and many are under the age of five. No one had any other major health conditions.
The agency recommended improving surveillance and hygiene practices to stop the spread of cases.
Questions and Answers: What is the mysterious global hepatitis epidemic and what is behind it?
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that is usually caused by a viral infection or damage to the liver from drinking alcohol.
Some cases resolve on their own without ongoing problems, but some can be fatal, forcing patients to need liver transplants to survive.
Why are experts concerned?
Hepatitis is usually rare in children, but experts have already noticed more cases in the current epidemic than they usually expect in a year.
The cases are of “unknown origin” and are also serious, according to the World Health Organization. This caused up to two deaths and 18 liver transplants.
How common are the cases?
Inflammatory liver disease has been observed in more than 200 children between the ages of one month and 16 years.
United Kingdom
US *
Spain
Israel
Denmark
Ireland
The Netherlands
Italy
France
Norway
Romania
Belgium
Japan *
Canada *
145
27
13
12
six
Less than five
Four
Four
two
two
one
one
one
Unspecified number
* cases in Canada, Japan and Illinois, Wisconsin and New York have not yet been confirmed
What can trigger it?
None of the cases were caused by any of the five typical strains of the virus – hepatitis A, B, C, D and E – leaving experts confused by the outbreak.
Some children tested positive for the adenovirus, which usually causes colds, while others were infected with Covid – but no clear topic emerged.
UKHSA ruled out the Covid vaccine as a possible cause, and none of the UK cases have been vaccinated so far due to their age.
What are the best theories?
Co-infection
Experts say the cases may be related to an adenovirus, often associated with colds, but further research is underway.
This, in combination with Covid infections, can cause a jump in cases.
According to the WHO, adenovirus has been detected in at least 74 cases. At least 20 of the children tested positive for coronavirus.
Weakened immunity
British experts tasked with investigating a series of diseases believe that the endless cycle of blocking may have played a role.
Restrictions may have weakened children’s immunity due to reduced social mixing, which leaves them at increased risk of adenovirus.
This means that even “normal” adenovirus can cause severe results because children do not respond to it as they have in the past.
Adenoviral mutation
Other scientists have said it may be an adenovirus that has acquired “unusual mutations.”
This would mean that it may be more portable or more able to bypass children’s natural immunity.
A new version of Covid
UKHSA staff included a “new version of SARS-CoV-2” in their working hypotheses.
Covid causes inflammation of the liver in very rare cases during the pandemic, although they were at all ages and not isolated in children.
Ecological triggers
UKHSA noted that environmental causes are still being investigated as possible causes of disease.
These may include contamination or exposure to certain drugs or toxins.
What are the symptoms?
Hepatitis often has no noticeable symptoms – but these can include dark urine, pale gray stools, itchy skin, and yellowing of the eyes and skin.
Infected people can also suffer from muscle and joint pain, fever, feel and be sick, and be unusually tired all the time.
How is it treated?
Treatment depends on the severity, and some patients can fight the disease on their own.
In more dangerous cases, when the liver fails, children can be placed in an induced coma to cope with the swelling of the brain caused by the accumulation of ammonia.
A liver transplant may be needed if the liver has been damaged to repair itself, although this is extremely rare.
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