The WHO announced yesterday that at least one child has died amid a rise in cases of acute hepatitis of unknown cause among minors.
The World Health Organization said it had been informed of 169 cases in 12 countries.
According to the organization, part of the UN system, as of April 21, cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children had been recorded in the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, Israel, Denmark, Ireland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway, France, Romania, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, France, Romania and Belgium.
The WHO noted that 114 of the 169 cases have been recorded in the UK.
The children presenting with acute hepatitis were aged between one month and 16 years.17 were judged to need liver transplants. No details of the child who succumbed, nor where the death was recorded, are disclosed.
The WHO said that in the last 74 cases, a common flu virus known as adenovirus was identified. 20 of the children tested were infected with the new coronavirus; 19 had both adenovirus and COVID-19, it added.
WHO assured that it is closely monitoring the situation and cooperating with the UK health authorities and other member states and partners on the outbreaks.
US health authorities have issued an emergency alert, urging pediatricians to be vigilant for cases of hepatitis in minors, possibly linked to a flu virus, as part of a wider investigation into unexplained cases of acute liver inflammation in children.
Where the first sign in children appears
The symptoms that hepatitis can cause were discussed by Andreas Konstantopoulos, President of the Hellenic and World Pediatric Societies. Speaking on ERT, he said that the symptoms are multiple but jaundice is what parents should recognize in their children. He noted that jaundice "is seen in the whites of the eye in daylight. If it reaches high levels, it is visible on the skin and then it is too late."
"Parents should not run for a blood test if they have not seen the first sign, which is jaundice," the president of the Hellenic and World Pediatric Societies pointed out, reassuring: "We have hepatitis every year, since infections such as mononucleosis affect the liver without being dubbed hepatitis. Early diagnosis is important as rest and abstinence of the child from activities is required."
What are the symptoms
The symptoms of hepatitis in children were also mentioned by Professor of Pulmonology at the University of Crete, Nikos Tzanakis, speaking to SKAI, explained that they have fatigue, they may show fever, have ictal coloration in their eyes and skin, their urine is intensely colored and their stool is discolored.
"They may also experience gastrointestinal symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain," he stressed.
*With information from CNA
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