Five cases of death due to hepatitis acute in USA e Indonesiaone in Palestine and another in Ireland and there is talk that the disease would already be in 20 countries, although it is beginning to be suspected that it could be present in another 13.
There were eleven reported cases, but the European Union announced on Thursday that a child in the Republic of Ireland has died after suffering from this rare disease and, on European Center for Disease Prevention and Control also reported that there are other 450 cases who are under observation.
This last number will probably continue to grow, because the United Kingdom already reported 13 more cases of internees under this condition and experts point out that these numbers could only be the visible part of a growing problem.
Hepatitis is, by definition, an inflammation of the liver, which can have viral origin or be a product of excessive use of alcohol, substances, medications or by autoimmune system reaction.
The World Health Organization (OMS), has already reported that it received more than 300 reports from different latitudes and another 70 are under study to find out if it is the same liver condition. All these collected cases are mostly children under ten years of age and at least 26 cases have required liver transplantation to recover.
Scientists who are following the issue closely believe at the moment that the origin may be from a group of viruses that would normally cause a common cold. The countries with the most cases detected are the United Kingdom with 176 and USA 110 so far, although it is feared that the lack of surveillance in several countries could be hiding even more alarming numbers.