Childhood acute hepatitis, risk grows in children under 5 years of age

The cause and origin behind the numerous outbreaks of Childhood Acute Hepatitis Investigation continues, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has indicated that it is an unusual condition that does not correspond to any of the known viral hepatitis and that there are few data to define whether it is an outbreak or an epidemic.

The origin of this disease still has an unknown origin and presents a picture similar to that of the other types of hepatitis. For this reason it is important to carry out different tests to determine if the condition corresponds to one of the five types of viruses that cause this disease or if it is Acute Childhood Hepatitis.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the information on epidemiology, laboratory and clinic is limited and up to now no etiological agent has been identified as the cause of the event. In many cases the presence of adenovirus has been detected in blood or plasma, but with low viral loads.

“We are investigating several possible causes, both infectious and non-infectious. So far, none of the cases appear to have been caused by the viruses that usually cause acute hepatitis (hepatitis A, B, C, or E). There does not seem to be any common denominator between the cases, be it a specific place, a food, a medicine, an animal, a bacterium or some concomitant disease. There may be a link to some viruses that cause cold and flu-like symptoms called adenoviruses,” the WHO said.

national overview

In Mexico, as of October 10, 170 cases meet the operational definition of a probable case, with a negative result for the hepatitis AE virus issued by the InDRE. The probable cases are distributed in 27 federal entities, reported the Secretary of Health.

Regarding the distribution by sex, there is no difference in the number of cases between men and women and the age group from 0 to 5 years is the most affected with 131 of the 170 probable cases.

It should be noted that hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can be related to poisoning both by drugs and other substances or due to infections.

According to the agency, some of the most common symptoms of acute hepatitis in children are fever, muscle pain, abdominal pain, gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea or vomiting, rashes, loss of appetite, and general malaise. One of the most characteristic elements of this disease is jaundice, that is, the presence of a yellow coloration in the skin and eyes of people.

Globally, 1,010 probable cases of Severe Acute Hepatitis have been reported in children under 16 years of age in 35 countries, as of July 2022 with the highest number detected in the United States and the United Kingdom.

alba.servin@eleconomista.mx