Since the beginning of the year, at least 111 children have been identified in the UK with acute liver inflammation, which does not appear to be caused by the group of hepatitis viruses that would be the more likely culprit. Many more cases have been reported in the United States and other countries around the world.
Approximately three-quarters of the 53 children tested for adenovirus in the United Kingdom tested positive. The virus that causes Covid-19, on the other hand, was found in only one-sixth of the children who were tested – according to levels of transmission in the UK community.
Adenoviruses are a large family of viruses that can spread from person to person, causing a number of diseases, including colds, pink eye and gastroenteritis. They are rarely reported as a cause of severe hepatitis in healthy people.
But these cases of hepatitis come as the spread of adenovirus has escalated in recent months, along with other common viruses that have grown with the end of preventative measures and the behavior of Covid-19, which has kept most germs at bay.
After a drastic decline during the pandemic, documented cases of adenovirus have returned and are now at higher levels than the United Kingdom saw before Covid-19.
Although research has revolved around adenovirus, it is not yet clear how it can cause inflammation of the liver. Experts say that the virus may be just one factor that leads to these cases when it happens together with something else.
“There may be a cofactor that causes normal adenovirus to cause a more severe clinical picture in young children,” the UK health agency said in a technical briefing Monday, “such as hypersensitivity due to reduced exposure during the pandemic, previous SARS -CoV -2 or other infection, or as yet undetected coinfection or toxin. Alternatively, a new adenovirus strain with altered characteristics may have emerged. “
Experts say another possibility may be time. It may be that children who would normally be infected with minimal symptoms such as babies have more severe reactions to viruses now that they are older.
UK scientists are looking at a specific type of adenovirus because of blood test data, but will have to look at its genetic makeup as confirmation.
According to the UK Health Security Agency, the cases are mostly in children under 5, with an average age of 3 and only “a small number of children over ten are being investigated”. Dozens have recovered and no deaths have been reported in the UK, but 10 children have needed a liver transplant.
On Saturday, the World Health Organization said at least 169 cases of acute hepatitis in children had been identified in 11 countries, including at least 17 liver transplants and one death.
In the United States, potential cases have been identified in Alabama, North Carolina and Illinois.
CNN’s Brenda Goodman contributed to this report.
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