MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

WHO confirms acute hepatitis creeping in

So far travel restrictions are not necessary, the WHO said

The World Health Organization (WHO) Saturday confirmed 169 cases of severe acute childhood hepatitis of unknown origin had been detected in 11 countries, mostly in Europe.

The disease, first spotted in the United Kingdom, affects patients aged between 1 month and 16 years. So far, one death has been confirmed. This type of hepatitis usually causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting, the experts have explained.

Most of the cases have been reported in Europe, except for nine confirmed in the United States and 12 in Israel; the United Kingdom has reported the most cases (114), followed by Spain (13), the WHO said in a statement.

The Geneva-based organization said that 17 of the affected children (approximately one in 10) have required a liver transplant after contracting this new disease.

Although the exact cause of the ailment has not yet been determined, the WHO said it could be due to an adenovirus, normally associated with mild respiratory complications.

The global agency also said it was not yet clear whether there has been an increase in cases or whether this is a normal pattern that had not been detected until now.

The first 10 cases of this acute hepatitis were reported by the United Kingdom to WHO on April 5, in previously healthy children under 10 years of age.

The age of those affected currently ranges from one month to 16 years, most of them have no fever, and none of them have been found to have the normal viruses associated with these illnesses (hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E), the WHO said.

Adenoviruses have been detected in 74 of the cases, 18 of them specifically with adenovirus 41, rarely linked before to cases of hepatitis. About 20 patients also tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes covid.

Faced with this anomalous increase in cases of hepatitis of unknown origin, the WHO called on health agencies worldwide to continue investigations and remain vigilant.

In light of the new events, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a new series of recommendations which echoed those issued regarding COVID-19: frequent hand washing, covering coughs, plus blood tests, serum, urine, and feces of those affected to analyze and sequence the possible causes.

However, WHO does not recommend restrictive measures for entry and exit to the United Kingdom or other affected countries, as it has not yet identified international travel as being associated with the increase in cases.

So far 114 cases of the new disease have been reported in the United Kingdom; 13 in Spain; 12 in Israel; nine in the United States; six in Denmark; five in Ireland; four in the Netherlands; four in Italy; two in Norway; two in France; one in Romania; and one in Belgium.

Signs of the disease also include elevated liver enzyme levels, the WHO explained.