A case of childhood hepatitis of unknown origin detected in Spain

Castilla-La Mancha has detected the first case in Spain of a type of acute hepatitis whose origin is unknown and affects children.

The

had warned this Wednesday of the increase in acute hepatitis in children that has been taking place for a few weeks in the United Kingdom and sounded the alarm so that European specialists were attentive to possible cases. .

The affected Spanish patient is a child from Valdepeñas who was admitted to the Ciudad Real Hospital and has been transferred to the La Paz Hospital in Madrid.

He is 22 months old and has developed acute hepatitis after presenting gastrointestinal symptoms, as El País advanced and sources from the Junta de Castilla-La Mancha have confirmed to EL MUNDO.

The patient evolves favourably.

are currently being investigated in England

, the majority of which have been detected in children between the ages of two and five.

Of these, some cases have led to liver failure and have required hospitalization.

Without indicating the amount, the European body indicates that a small number of those affected have had to undergo a

.

In Scotland, the statement continues, 10 cases of hepatitis have been reported in children between the ages of one and five who have required hospital admission.

Most of these cases have been detected since March.

In Wales there are currently no reported cases, although some cases detected in early 2022 share clinical signs.

"Until now, the cause of these cases of hepatitis is unknown"

, point out the ECDC, which clarify that none of the viruses that usually cause hepatitis (A, B, C, D and E) have been detected in those affected.

Some of the hospitalized children in England tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and others for adenovirus, but no clear connections to the disease have been established so far, nor is the appearance of symptoms associated with circumstances such as travel.

The ECDC has published the alert to notify doctors throughout Europe of the existence of these strange cases, so that they are attentive to possible similar pictures in their consultations.

The detected cases presented acute hepatitis, with a marked elevation of

, often accompanied by

and sometimes

, such as vomiting.

Cases have been detected in children up to 13 years of age.

In this sense, the ECDC calls on specialists to report any case compatible with these symptoms.

The British Health Agency has published a guide for paediatricians that includes how to screen possible cases.

Hepatitis is an

that affects the functions of this organ, which is essential for functions such as the purification of many substances in the body or the treatment of the nutrients that the body absorbs.

Conforms to The Trust Project criteria

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