Acute childhood hepatitis of unknown cause: the strange disease that has not yet reached Peru
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- 10 May 2022
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On April 15, the World Health Organization (WHO) published an alert on cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown cause . The first cases in boys and girls were registered in the United Kingdom and since then more have been reported in different parts of the world.
Thus, there are currently more than 200 minors with this rare liver disease in 20 countries. Among those that stand out the most, due to their proximity to Peru, are Argentina, where the first case of acute hepatitis was confirmed on May 5 in an 8-year-old boy ; and in Panama. In the Central American country, the minor is only 2 years old, but is "out of danger," according to medical personnel.
Other nations are: United States, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Denmark, Indonesia, Israel, etc.
Faced with this uncertain situation, the Peruvian Ministry of Health decided to issue an epidemiological alert to be alert to any unusual case of hepatitis in minors.
What is acute hepatitis?
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) explains that, in general, hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Different causes can produce this inflammation, says doctor Leandro Soares Sereno, advisor for the prevention and control of viral hepatitis of this organization on the official PAHO website.
These can be from infections, drug poisoning or other series of substances. Most frequently, the infectious agents are the viruses responsible for hepatitis A, B, C, D and E.
If it were a rapid and abrupt inflammation, we speak of acute hepatitis . In cases of hepatitis B, C and D, the infection can even become chronic.
Why in this case is the outbreak of hepatitis in children considered unusual or of unknown cause?
This is an event of concern that is under investigation by the World Health Organization . Currently, laboratory studies have ruled out cases of known viral hepatitis , which is why it is considered unusual and of unknown cause. The uncertainty is due to the fact that when its origin is unknown, it can be complicated and cause serious inflammation of the liver in some cases.
In many cases of hepatitis , there was also adenovirus infection—a virus that can cause respiratory symptoms or vomiting and diarrhea—in children. Thus, the link between these two as a possible cause of the disease is also investigated as a hypothesis.
It is ruled out that this liver infection is a secondary effect of the vaccines, since no sick child had been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Symptoms and treatment of severe acute childhood hepatitis of unknown cause
According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), acute hepatitis has the following symptoms:
Generally, the infection is short-lived and does not progress to serious symptoms. Despite this, serious infections can occur in immunocompromised patients or people undergoing transplants.
These cases occurred in the United Kingdom, where eight minors needed a liver transplant due to liver damage, when this type of operation is extremely rare in the pediatric population. Likewise, 2 children in the US are going through a similar situation. Read More…
