Now Japan and Canada probe mystery hepatitis in children as global outbreak spreads — bringing countries with cases to 14
- Canada has had reports of ‘acute hepatitis of unknown origin’ in the country
- A child in Japan was hospitalised with a mystery liver disease on April 21
- Nearly 200 children have been sickened by the condition across the world
Suspected cases of the mysterious hepatitis sweeping the world have now been detected in children in Japan and Canada.
Canada’s Public Health Agency yesterday revealed it was ‘aware of reports of severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin’ in the country.
And Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that a patient under the age of 16 was hospitalised with hepatitis on April 21.
Officials did not reveal their age, sex or location — but said they tested negative for adenovirus, believed to be the culprit of the global outbreak, and Covid.
The patient meets the working definition for a ‘probable case’ of the hepatitis cases already confirmed in countries like the UK, US and Spain officials said.
Nearly 200 children have been sickened by the condition across the world in up to 14 countries since last October. One has died and 17 have needed liver transplants.
Nearly 200 children have been sickened by hepatitis of unknown origin across the world in up to 14 countries so far. *cases in Canada, Japan and Illinois, US, are still yet to be confirmed
Health officials are probing three probable cases of hepatitis among children in Illinois including one that required a liver transplant, according to officials.
All the children were under ten years old the state’s health department said, with two of the youngsters based in Chicago and the third in Western Illinois.
Some 11 children sick with unexplained hepatitis have been confirmed in the U.S. in recent weeks, with nine cases in Alabama — including two that needed liver transplants — and two in North Carolina.
If confirmed, the Illinois cases will take the total to 14.
Public Health Agency of Canada said: ‘These are being investigated further to determine if they are related to cases in the UK and the US.
‘As the investigation evolves, we will keep the public updated accordingly.’
But the country did not reveal how many cases exactly have been spotted.
The condition — which was first spotted in Scotland at the end of March — has been detected 114 times in Britain and at least 11 times in the US.
Medics have been left puzzled by what is causing it — with the usual hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses excluded from laboratory test results.
Health chiefs believe the illness may be triggered by an adenovirus, which usually causes common colds.
Experts say lockdowns may have weakened the immunity of children and left them more susceptible to the virus, or it may be a mutated version.
Investigations are ongoing but officials have yet to rule out a new Covid variant being to blame.
Another theory is that children may have been battling the adenovirus at the same time as Covid.
UK health officials have ruled out the Covid vaccine as a possible cause, with none of the ill British children having been vaccinated because of their young age.
None of the cases in the US were jabbed either.
Liver experts described the spate of cases as ‘concerning’ but said parents should not worry about the illness affecting their children.
Professor Deirdre Kelly, a hepatologist at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, told MailOnline children should follow normal hygiene protocols with good handwashing.
She said: ‘The epidemic of acute hepatitis is concerning, but it has only affected a very small percentage of children under 10 years.
’90 per cent of affected children have recovered spontaneously. The few children who have developed severe liver damage have been successfully transplanted [in the UK].’
Covid lockdowns may be behind the mysterious spate of hepatitis cases in children because they reduced social mixing and weakened their immunity, experts claim
Dr Zania Stamataki, a liver immunologist at the University of Birmingham, told MailOnline: ‘Currently the number of cases of sudden onset hepatitis in children are very low.
‘As a mum, I am not concerned with the reported numbers because the incidence is very rare.
‘However, as a viral immunologist with expertise in liver disease, I am intrigued because there are more cases than pre-pandemic levels, so it is worth monitoring the situation.’
Three probable new cases in Illinois, US, are also being probed by officials, including one that required a liver transplant.
All the children were under ten years old the state’s health department said, with two of the youngsters based in Chicago and the third in Western Illinois.
Some 11 children sick with unexplained hepatitis have been confirmed in the U.S. in recent weeks, with nine cases in Alabama — including two that needed liver transplants — and two in North Carolina.
If confirmed, the Illinois cases will take the total to 14.
Q&A: What is the mysterious global hepatitis outbreak and what is behind it?
What do we know about the global hepatitis outbreak?
Scientists have been left puzzled by a global outbreak of hepatitis that has caused one death and 17 liver transplants.
The inflammatory liver condition has been spotted in at least 169 children aged between one month and 16 years old.
None of the cases have been caused by any of the five typical strains of the virus — hepatitis A, B, C, D and E.
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver that is usually caused by a viral infection or liver damage from drinking alcohol.
Hepatitis often has no noticeable symptoms — but they can include dark urine, pale grey-coloured faeces, itchy skin and the yellowing of the eyes and skin.
Infected people can also suffer muscle and joint pain, a high temperature, feeling and being sick and being unusually tired all of the time.
When hepatitis is spread by a virus, it’s usually caused by consuming food and drink contaminated with the faeces of an infected person or blood-to-blood or sexual contact.
How many countries have cases been recorded in?
Country
Cases
UK
Spain
US*
Israel
Denmark
Ireland
The Netherlands
Italy
France
Norway
Romania
Belgium
Japan*
Canada*
114
13
14
12
Six
Fewer than five
Four
Four
Two
Two
One
One
One
Unspecified number
*cases in Canada, Japan and Illinois, US, are still yet to be confirmed
Do we know what is behind the outbreak?
Co-infection
Experts say the cases may be linked to a virus commonly associated with colds, but further research is ongoing.
This, in combination with Covid infections, could be causing the spike in cases.
‘While adenovirus is a possible hypothesis, investigations are ongoing for the causative agent,’ WHO said,
It noted that the virus has been detected in at least 74 of the cases. At least 20 of the children tested positive for the coronavirus.
Weakened immunity
British experts tasked with investigating the spate of illnesses believe the endless cycle of lockdowns may have played a contributing role.
Restrictions may have weakened children’s immunity, leaving them at heightened risk of adenovirus.
Writing in the journal Eurosurveillance, the team — led by Public Health Scotland epidemiologist Dr Kimberly Marsh — said more children could be ‘immunologically naive’ to the virus because of restrictions.
They said: ‘The leading hypotheses centre around adenovirus — either a new variant with a distinct clinical syndrome or a routinely circulating variant that is more severely impacting younger children who are immunologically naive.
‘The latter scenario may be the result of restricted social mixing during the pandemic.’
Adenovirus mutation
Other scientists said it may have been a virus that has acquired ‘unusual mutations’.
A virology specialist at Imperial College London told The Telegraph it is ‘very unusual and rare’ for children to suffer severe hepatitis, especially to the extent that they require a liver transplant.
The expert, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘The number of cases is exceptional.
‘It makes people think there is something unusual going on — such as a virus that has mutated or some other cause. It has sent alarm bells ringing.’
New Covid variant
UKHSA officials included ‘a new variant of SARS-CoV-2’ in their working hypotheses, when discussing the variant at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases in Lisbon.
Other theories
The UKHSA has noted Covid as well as other infections and environmental triggers are still being probed as possible causes of the illnesses.
The agency ruled out the Covid vaccine as a possible cause, with none of the British cases so far having been vaccinated because of their age.
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