FIFTEEN children required a liver transplant in the bizarre hepatitis outbreak in the UK.
A total of 274 cases (four unconfirmed) have been detected this year, and hundreds more worldwide, which is far above what is considered normal.
1
However, there is hope that the outbreak is over as the number of cases in the UK is declining.
And scientists have made a breakthrough in their research, discovering the source of what was a mysterious epidemic.
Today, a UK Health and Security Agency reported that 15 children needed a new liver and that 225 children have been hospitalized.
But there have been no deaths.
They now believe that the cause was a wave of viruses and bugs when the… Covid restrictions were lifted.
Two specific viruses have been blamed – adeno-associated virus 2 and adenovirusesa group of common insects that cause colds or diarrhea and vomiting.
When combined, they are thought to cause liver damage in some children.
For real cases of hepatitis were not noticed in the past because they were rare.
But a spike of infection when Covid restrictions ended meant dozens came at once – and while still rare, the sudden spike in hepatitis became apparent.
Of the 274 cases in the UK, 258 have been tested for adenovirus, of which 170 (65.9 per cent) were positive.
Adenoviruses are normally not harmful and children are always often sick with them.
However, in most cases examined, adenovirus-associated virus 2 (AAV2) was also present.
It was not found in samples from people not affected by the outbreak, suggesting it was this important duality that led to liver inflammation.
AAV2 usually doesn’t cause disease on its own and needs a “helper” virus to be able to divide in the body, UKHSA said.
A small percentage of children appear to become seriously ill if they catch both insects at the same time, the researchers said.
And there is some evidence that this is due to their genetics.
Studies have suggested that the coronavirus itself is not involved, as positivity rates were similar in the group of children with hepatitis and controls.
dr. Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA, said unraveling the causes of the outbreak is “complex”.
She said: “Multiple lines of research point to the possibility that several factors combined to cause serious illness in some children.
“It is important to remember that it is very rare for a child to develop hepatitis and new cases linked to this outbreak have now decreased.
“UKHSA continues to work with academic and international partners to understand why this cluster occurred and any future risks.”