Yasmina Kattou 6:16 a.m., May 25, 2022

Public Health France announced on Tuesday that it had identified 614 probable cases of hepatitis of unknown origin.

For its part, the WHO favors the hypothesis of an adenovirus to explain this mysterious disease which mainly affects children.

Even if specialists evoke a possible link with the Covid-19.

614 probable cases of hepatitis of unknown origin have been identified according to the latest French public health bulletin.

According to the World Health Organization, these cases of hepatitis of unexplained origin have been recorded in twenty countries.

Worldwide, only six countries have more than five cases, but the UK alone has reported 197 patients in recent months.

In the United States, five children have died.

In France, two possible cases have been identified and four cases are under investigation.

At this time, it is impossible to know if these figures represent an excess of cases or if they are the usual number of cases in most countries.

Be that as it may, to explain these cases, several avenues have been put forward.

Adenovirus found in 70% of children

The first hypothesis put forward is contamination with adenovirus.

This virus usually associated with gastroenteritis was found in 70% of children who developed acute hepatitis.

Moreover, the majority of patients affected by hepatitis have had diarrhea, vomiting or stomach aches.

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Hepatitis, which is an inflammation of the liver, has in some cases caused liver failure.

According to infectious disease specialist and pediatrician Robert Cohen, this increase in cases is due to a drop in children's immunity.

“For months, we applied hygiene measures which were the strict wearing of masks, the closing of schools, nurseries. All this means that children have not been immunized as usual with viruses. which circulate in children, so a certain number of viruses have led to more infection", he explains on Europe 1.

18% of children affected by acute hepatitis were positive for Covid

The Covid could have played a role.

According to the WHO, 18% of children affected by acute hepatitis were positive for Covid.

But all of this is speculation.

The pediatrician recalls that each year 20 to 40% of hepatitis detected in children remain without a known cause.