Nearly 200 cases of acute liver disease have been found in children aged one month to 16 years in at least a dozen countries. So far, 17 children have needed liver transplants and at least one death has occurred. While federal health officials say several cases are being investigated in young children from Canada, the condition has not been found in any Alberta children. “There are no confirmed cases of severe unexplained hepatitis in Alberta to date. We will continue to inform the Albertans as needed,” Alberta Health spokeswoman Lisa Glover said in an email to CBC News on Friday. Officials did not answer CBC News questions about whether any of the Canadian cases being investigated are in Alberta.
No proven cause
The disease is particularly enigmatic because researchers have not been able to pinpoint the cause.
“There are many causes for hepatitis, but in these cases the most common causes have been ruled out and it is not clear what led to the condition,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer, told a news conference Wednesday.
“A lot of work is being done on this worldwide and in some cases an adenovirus has been identified, which is a common cold virus. It is not clear if this virus causes hepatitis, but it is a possible cause that is being investigated. “
The World Health Organization said this week that the adenovirus has been detected in at least 74 cases, SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in other cases and some children tested positive in both.
Unexpected rise in acute hepatitis in children has put doctors in Alberta on alert.
Edmonton pediatrician, Dr. Tehseen Ladha says that when children have abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, symptoms that may be quite common, they are now more likely to test for liver enzymes to look for inflammation of the liver. (CBC)
“I’m worried,” said Dr. Tehseen Ladha, a pediatrician from Edmonton and an assistant professor in the School of Medicine at the University of Alberta.
“It made us more alert and more aware of some of these symptoms for which we may not draw blood normally. So if a child has abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting – these are not usually things we would solve with blood. But knowing “Hepatitis occurs all over the world in children, these things we will look at more carefully now to determine if this child needs a blood test and more research.”
“I do not think parents should worry about this in their daily lives,” said Dr. Stephen Freedman, a professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at the University of Calgary. (Riley Brandt / University of Calgary)
The ER doctor at Alberta Children’s Hospital, Dr. Stephen Freedman, warned parents not to panic.
“The risk to children in Canada is extremely, very low right now,” said Freedman, who also teaches pediatrics at Cumming University School of Medicine in Calgary.
“I do not think parents should worry about this in their daily lives.”
Freedman noted that gastrointestinal symptoms usually occur in the emergency room for children. However, he does not see any worrying signs.
“What really should be a red flag for parents or doctors [and] Healthcare providers are children who have really dark tea-colored urine or if their skin or eyes have a yellowish tinge. “It would be worrying that the liver is really involved in whatever process is going on.”
“None of the children we see as far as I know have additional relevant characteristics that would make us worry about liver failure.”
Health officials say that if there is an infectious cause behind the disease, measures such as hand washing, mask use and staying home when you are sick can help.
“We are working to provide front-line information to doctors on this issue as usual,” Glover said.
“We are working closely with federal, provincial and territorial partners to monitor emerging information and we look forward to [the Public Health Agency of Canada] to provide a standard national set of minimum data reports, which we expect to be available soon “.
