Health The strange cases of childhood hepatitis that have been detected: symptoms and possible causes
Health Adenovirus F41, the main 'suspect' of cases of childhood hepatitis
Researchers are exploring a possible link between dogs and the recent rise in cases of sudden-onset
hepatitis
in children in
the UK
.
More than 160 new cases have been recorded in the current outbreak, but the reason for the increase is unclear,
Sky News
reports .
Family questionnaires have shown "relatively high numbers
of dog-owning families or other dog exposures
," the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said, with
64 of 92 cases
with available data mentioning dog exposure.
The UKHSA said "the significance of this finding is being explored" but that it
could be a coincidence
because dog ownership is common in the UK.
No one has died in the current outbreak, although
11 UK children have needed liver transplants
, and health authorities stress the risk of contracting hepatitis is "extremely low".
Hepatitis
is inflammation of the liver and is usually caused by a viral infection or liver damage from alcohol.
Jaundice (
yellowing
of the skin and eyes) and
vomiting
are the most common symptoms in UK cases, which have mostly occurred in
children under 5 years of age
.
A common virus called
adenovirus
may be the cause of the increase and has been detected more frequently in samples collected, UKHSA said.
However, it is rare for
adenovirus
to cause hepatitis in previously healthy children, so researchers
are looking for possible external factors
.
These include a
previous Covid infection
or a change in the
adenovirus
genome itself .
Another theory is that
lockdown
and
social distancing
may be factors, as the children may not have been exposed to the usual common infections.
Good
hygiene
, which includes helping young children to wash their hands, can help prevent infections that can cause
hepatitis
, says the NHS.
"It is important for parents to know that the chance of their child developing hepatitis is extremely low," Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at the UKHSA, told Sky News.
"However, we continue to remind everyone to be alert to the signs of hepatitis, particularly
jaundice
, look for a yellow tint to the whites of the eyes, and to contact your doctor if you are concerned.
"Our investigations continue to suggest that there is
an association with adenovirus,
and our studies are now rigorously testing this association," he added.
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Hepatitis
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