Hepatitis Of Unknown Origin Found In Children In More Countries

Web Desk — New cases of hepatitis of unknown origin have been reported in four European countries and the US, the EU health agency said Tuesday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday that it is monitoring 84 cases of severe acute hepatitis in Britain reported since April 5 and anticipates that there will be more cases in the coming days.
Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain have now reported cases of the disease, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in a statement. Nine suspected cases have also been reported in Alabama, according to the report.
“Investigations are ongoing in all countries reporting cases. At present, the exact cause of hepatitis in these children remains unknown,” the ECDC said.
Most of the time, the children did not have a fever. Both the WHO and the ECDC report that some of the cases in the UK were so severe that patients were transferred to specialist children’s liver units and six children had liver transplants.
Symptoms of the infection included jaundice, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain in children under 10.
In addition to the known hepatitis viruses, from A to E, no evidence has been found in the children, so British health authorities have considered other possible causes such as Covid-19, infections, or environmental factors.
For the moment, investigators suspect that the likeliest cause is an infection, the ECDC said. 
“No link to the COVID-19 vaccine was identified and detailed information collected through a questionnaire to cases about food, drink, and personal habits failed to identify any common exposure,” the ECDC said.
Director of clinical and emerging infections at the UK Health Security Agency, Meera Chand said on Friday that “normal hygiene measures” such as hand-washing “help to reduce the spread of many of the infections we’re investigating”.