WHO confirms one child dead from hepatitis mystery strain

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According to the World Health Organization, at least one kid has died from a mysterious strain of acute hepatitis that has now been recorded in 12 nations.

The United Nations stated on Saturday that it is aware of 169 unusual occurrences of acute hepatitis, a liver infection, among young children. 17 of them grew so ill that they need liver transplants.

The majority of the illnesses – 114 – have occurred in the United Kingdom, followed by Spain (13 cases). The outbreak has now reached the US, the occupied Palestinian territories, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Norway, Romania, and Belgium.

While moderate pediatric hepatitis is relatively uncommon, severe hepatitis in otherwise healthy children is uncommon.

Since a cluster of instances was detected in Scotland from January to mid-April, health officials have been examining the mysterious ailment, which has afflicted young kids ranging in age from one month to 16 years old.

The WHO advised countries to monitor and report such incidents in an interview with Stat, a US health news website.

Richard Pebody, of the WHO European division’s high threats pathogen team, stated that the numbers, although not big, have severe consequences. 

“It’s important that countries look," he added.

Scientists now suspect that an adenovirus, a kind of virus that may cause ordinary colds, is to blame for the recent surge in acute hepatitis cases. At least 74 of the afflicted children have tested positive for adenovirus infection. However, while adenovirus 41 has been related to hepatitis in immunocompromised children, it has never been connected to the disease in previously healthy children.

Jim McMenamin, director of Public Health Scotland, told Reuters that a study is being done to determine whether an adenovirus has evolved to create more severe sickness, or whether it is causing the issues "in tandem" with another virus, perhaps Sars-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19.

According to the WHO, any relation to Covid-19 vaccinations has been ruled out because the great majority of children who were ill were not vaccinated. Lower immunity as a result of less social mixing during the epidemic, according to some experts, might be an explanation.

Dark urine, yellowing of the eyes and skin, illness, exhaustion, fever, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach discomfort, light-colored feces, and joint pain are all signs of hepatitis.

If parents are concerned about their kids, they should be on the lookout for signs and call a healthcare expert. Handwashing and "thorough respiratory hygiene," such as capturing coughs and sneezes in a tissue, have been recommended by the British Health Security Agency.