Cases of childhood hepatitis of unknown origin were identified in the United Kingdom in early April and then in four other European countries, still in children. “Additional cases in children have been reported in Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain“, says the European Agency for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC).
The exact cause of hepatitis remains unknown
“Investigations are continuing in all countries reporting cases. Currently, the exact cause of hepatitis remains unknown“, writes the ECDC, but British investigators”consider an infectious cause to be the most likely due to the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the cases“.
Two cases whose origin is still undetermined in Lyon
In France, after the launch of an active search for cases, “two cases of acute hepatitis whose origin is still undetermined were reported by the Lyon University Hospital” in children under 10 years old and “are under investigation”, indicates the Public Health agency France. “Cases of acute hepatitis of undetermined etiology in children are not uncommon. The occurrence of these two cases is not unexpected and does not, at this stage, indicate an excess of cases in France.“, specifies Public Health France.
Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it expected new reports in the next few days. No deaths have been recorded but some British cases have required liver transplantation. Of the UK cases, “many cases showed signs of jaundice“. Nine suspected cases have also been identified in children aged 1 to 6 years in Alabama in the United States, according to the ECDC.