Unknown hepatitis affecting girls and boys

The World Health Organization has sounded the alert: a hepatitis of unknown origin that affects children (and even adolescents) has been detected in several countries.

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Few cases but worrying

At the moment, there are few cases that the WHO has reported: about 196 worldwide. But there is concern because it is a very aggressive hepatitis that has made liver transplants necessary.

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Who is affected?

Cases of this hepatitis of unknown origin affect girls and boys (and even adolescents) between the ages of one month and 16 years.

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In which countries have there been cases?

The largest number of cases has been in the United Kingdom but there have also been infections in Spain, Israel, the United States, Denmark and Ireland, according to WHO data.

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Does it cause death?

At the moment, the WHO reports one death from this type of hepatitis, but it does warn about the seriousness of the cases that have occurred: in 10% of these cases, a liver transplant has been necessary.

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Nothing to do with vaccinations

Of course, the WHO has already had to deny a hoax that was beginning to circulate: this hepatitis is not caused by the Covid vaccine. One compelling reason is that it affects girls and boys who, due to their age, have not been vaccinated.

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A new adenovirus?

The main question that experts have to answer is whether we are dealing with a new type of adenovirus that creates an entirely new hepatitis. Neither the WHO nor scientists are clear.

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F41

It has been believed to detect in many cases a variant of the adenovirus called F4. But never has this subtype of adenovirus caused such serious effects. With which doctors are confused.

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New adenovirus or old adenovirus in new circumstances?

Thus, a new adenovirus subtype could have emerged, or perhaps a more potent reaction to an existing adenovirus. A reaction that, according to some theories, could be more serious due to the time that children and adults have been isolated from pathogens by confinement and masks.

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“Unaccustomed” to the hepatitis virus

As reported by the BBC, the British health service suspects about the adenovirus that has caused this hepatitis that “its impact on young children, who did not come into contact with any of the normal viruses during lockdown as babies, could be behind the current increase.

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Connection with the coronavirus?

But some doctors in Israel (the third country in the world in number of cases) suspect that Covid may have something to do with this aggressive hepatitis. Pediatrician Yael Mozer-Glassberg told Hareetz: “The common denominator found in all cases is that they had all contracted the coronavirus about three and a half months before the infection appeared.”

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A difficult theory to prove at the moment

Although, at the moment, the hepatitis-Covid connection is a difficult thesis to prove. As an indication, however, it should be remembered that the coronavirus has been shown to leave sequelae in organs beyond the lungs: be it the heart or, very clearly, in the brain (such is the destructive effect of Covid on the brain).

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What to do against this hepatitis?

The important thing is to pay special attention to the child when we see any symptoms that can lead to a diagnosis of hepatitis. The sooner you see a doctor, the better. And what are those symptoms?

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Malaise, vomiting, diarrhoea, jaundice

A general malaise, vomiting, diarrhea and, above all, the characteristic yellow color of the skin that warns of a malfunction of our liver. Jaundice (that unhealthy yellow color) is perceived, before anywhere, in the eyes. Before any of these symptoms, go to the doctor as soon as possible.

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Particularly severe gastrointestinal symptoms

From the United Kingdom, its health system has reported that this specific type of hepatitis in children manifests itself with very acute gastrointestinal symptoms. But not in all cases. That is why you have to pay close attention to the general state of health of the little ones.

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Prevention

Obviously, hand washing and extreme hygiene are tools to avoid contagion. Little more. The contamination is of the “oral-faecal” type.

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treatments work

It is true that, up to the time of writing this article, there has been one death. But the usual thing is that hepatitis responds to treatment although, in some cases, it is necessary to resort to something as radical as liver transplantation.

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No geographic connection

At the moment, the cases are distributed around the world in a way that does not keep connection. The WHO admits that, perhaps, it is simply the hepatitis that has always worsened and that extreme vigilance in health services has made the data emerge and cause the alert. Be that as it may, we must pay attention to this phenomenon and see if it goes further.

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