There has been a sharp increase in severe hepatitis cases among children under ten in the UK over recent months. The UK Health Security Agency has been informed of 74 cases since January 2022, with 49 of these in England, 13 in Scotland and the remaining 12 spread between Wales and Northern Ireland. (Also read: XE variant: Watch out for these symptoms of Covid-19 in kids)

Other isolated cases of severe acute hepatitis in children have been identified in the US, Spain and Ireland.

Severe hepatitis in children is very rare and we don’t yet know what’s causing this highly unusual rise in cases. The leading theory is that it’s some kind of viral infection, perhaps even SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

But how likely is it that these hepatitis cases are linked to COVID? Or is there a more likely cause to be found elsewhere?

First let’s break down what hepatitis is and how it’s linked to viral infections.

Hepatitis is the medical term for inflammation of the liver. Inflammation is a general immune response to an infection or injury – a sign the body is trying to fight off a potential disease. Symptoms in children usually include some (but not all) of the following: dark urine, grey-coloured faeces, yellowing of the skin and eyes (called jaundice) and a high temperature. With the right medical attention the condition can usually be treated, but some patients may require a liver transplant. The World Health Organization has reported that six of the children affected in the UK have undergone a transplant so far. The causes can be varied but in children, hepatitis is usually associated with viral infections. The most common of these are the five hepatitis viruses: hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. Other viruses such as adenoviruses can cause hepatitis, but this is rare.

          Source: PTI