Health officials have confirmed that nearly three dozen cases of liver inflammation have been detected in people aged 10 and under Monday, bringing the total to 145 across the UK. Of these, 108 are in England, 17 in Scotland, 11 in Wales and nine in Northern Ireland. Ten of these young children needed a liver transplant, but no deaths have been reported. It comes as experts have warned that the cause of the strange hepatitis pattern – which has been detected in 200 children worldwide since March – will not be known for months. Globally, one child has been confirmed dead and another fatal in the US is currently being investigated. At least 18 sick young people needed a liver transplant. None of the cases were found to be positive for normal viruses that cause hepatitis, which has left scientists wondering about the origin of the disease. Professor Alastair Sutcliffe, a leading pediatrician at University College London, said MailOnline’s health may not know the cause until later this summer. A common virus that commonly causes the common cold, known as the adenovirus, is thought to be involved. However, there are a number of conflicting theories as to why the usually harmless virus causes critical illness in young, previously healthy children. More than 200 children have been diagnosed with the disease worldwide in up to 14 countries since last October * Cases in Canada, Japan and Wisconsin, Illinois and New York have not yet been confirmed In a news release today, the United Kingdom Health Insurance Agency (UKHSA) said its findings continue to suggest that the adenovirus may be behind the onset of sudden onset hepatitis. Most cases affect children under the age of five, but a “small number” of children over the age of 10 are also being investigated, the UKHSA said. The affected children initially suffered from diarrhea and nausea, followed by jaundice – yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. But the UKHSA said it was not typical to see this pattern of adenovirus symptoms, so it is still investigating other causes, including Covid himself. He also noted that lockdowns may have weakened children’s immunity and made them more susceptible to the virus, or they may be a mutated version of the adenovirus. The organization works with scientists and doctors across the country to “answer these questions as quickly as possible.” Experts are also investigating whether a new variant of the coronavirus is responsible or whether it could be a case of previous or concomitant Covid infection. Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA, said parents could be concerned, but their child’s chances of developing hepatitis were “extremely low”. “However, we continue to remind parents to be vigilant for signs of hepatitis – especially jaundice, which is easier to detect as a yellow tinge in the whites of the eyes – and contact your doctor if you are concerned,” he said. Dr Chand added: “Regular hygiene measures, including thorough hand washing and ensuring that children wash their hands properly, help reduce the spread of many common infections. “As always, children with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea should stay home and not return to school or kindergarten for up to 48 hours after the onset of symptoms.” Hepatitis is usually rare in children, but experts have already identified more cases in the UK since January than would normally be expected in a year. The cases are of “unknown origin” and are also serious, according to the World Health Organization. There are 27 suspected and confirmed cases in the US, with seven reported yesterday in California. The death of a child in Wisconsin is being investigated by officials. Scientists have previously suggested that the cases be just the “tip of the iceberg”, with more chances of them being out there than have been identified so far. But Professor Sutcliffe said: “With modern methods, computer science, advanced computers, real-time PCR and whole genome control, I would think it would take three months to find the cause with some reasonable reliability.” Professor Sutcliffe said the discovery of the cause could be slowed by bureaucracy across international borders, with difficulties in transporting biomaterials between countries. Parental consent, data protection and laws governing the use of human tissue in the UK could all slow down research, he said. Finding an unknown cause is especially difficult because cases can have many factors behind them that are not consistent with all diseases. Professor Deirdre Kelly, a pediatrician at the University of Birmingham, also told MailOnline that it would take months to find a cause. He said: ‘[These are] complex, time-consuming research “. UK health officials have ruled out vaccination against Covid as a possible cause, as none of the sick British children have been vaccinated due to their young age. Covid lockdowns may be hiding behind the mysterious wave of hepatitis cases in children because they have reduced social involvement and weakened their immunity, experts claim Liver experts described the number of cases as “worrying”, but said parents should not worry about the disease affecting their children. An official with the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) said the disease was “quite rare”, but described the risk to children as “high” because of the potential impact. The risk to children in Europe could not be accurately assessed, as data on human-to-human transmission were unclear and cases in the European Union were “sporadically vague”, he said. However, given the unknown causes of the disease and the possible severity of the disease being caused, the ECDC said the outbreak “is a matter of public health concern”. An increase in hepatitis cases was first reported in Scotland on 31 March, with one child being treated for the condition in January. The Scottish case dates back to January. At least one child has died of the mysterious disease so far, according to the World Health Organization. Wisconsin is the only U.S. state to report suspected infant death from hepatitis. If confirmed, it will be the second in the world. Government officials confirmed to DailyMail.com that the child had developed the disease after being infected with the adenovirus. Most of the infected children were under 10 years old and many were under five years old. No one had other underlying health conditions. The agency recommended improving surveillance and hygiene practices to stop the spread of the cases.

Q&A: What is the mysterious global hepatitis outbreak and what lies behind it?

What is hepatitis? Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that is usually caused by a viral infection or liver damage from alcohol consumption. Some cases resolve on their own, without persistent problems, but a fraction can be fatal, forcing patients to need liver transplants to survive. Why are experts worried? Hepatitis is usually rare in children, but experts have already identified more cases in the current epidemic than they would normally expect in a year. The cases are of “unknown origin” and are also serious, according to the World Health Organization. It has caused up to two deaths and 18 liver transplants. How common are the cases? Inflammatory liver disease has been identified in more than 200 children aged between one month and 16 years. United Kingdom US* Spain Israel Denmark Ireland Netherlands Italy France Norway Romania Belgium Japan* Canada* 145 27 13 12 Six Less than five Four Four Two Two A A A Unspecified number

  • Incidents in Canada, Japan and Illinois, Wisconsin and New York have not yet been confirmed What can trigger it? None of the cases have been caused by any of the five typical strains of the virus – hepatitis A, B, C, D and E – leaving specialists confused by the outbreak. Some children have tested positive for the adenovirus, which usually causes the common cold, while others have been infected with Covid – but there is no clear issue. The UKHSA ruled out the Covid vaccine as a possible cause, with none of the British cases so far having been vaccinated due to their age. What are the top theories? Infection Experts say the cases may be linked to an adenovirus, which is commonly associated with colds, but further research is under way. This, in combination with Covid infections, could lead to an increase in cases. The WHO said the adenovirus had been detected in at least 74 of the cases. At least 20 of the children tested positive for the coronavirus. Weakened immunity British experts in charge of investigating the multitude of diseases believe that the endless cycle of lockdowns may have contributed. Restrictions may have weakened children’s immunity due to reduced social involvement, leaving them at increased risk of developing adenovirus. This means that even a “normal” adenovirus could cause serious consequences because children do not respond to it as they used to. Adenovirus mutation Other scientists say it may be the adenovirus that has acquired “unusual mutations.” This would mean that it could be more contagious or better able to overcome children’s natural immunity. New Covid variant UKHSA officials have included “a new variant of SARS-CoV-2” in their case studies. Covid has caused inflammation of the liver in very rare cases during the pandemic, although it was at all ages and not isolated to children. Environmental irritations
    The UKHSA has noted that environmental stimuli are still being investigated as possible causes of disease. These may include pollution or exposure to certain drugs or toxins. What are the symptoms? Hepatitis often has no noticeable symptoms – but may include dark urine, light gray stools, itchy skin, and yellowing of the eyes and skin. Infected people may also suffer from muscle and joint pain, high fever, feel and be sick, and be unusually tired all the time. How…