As cases of severe liver disease “of unknown origin” among children in Canada rise, public health officials have initiated investigations. According to reports, this mysterious liver disease has affected nearly 200 youths around the world.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 169 cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin have been reported in nearly a dozen countries, with 114 from the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has claimed an even higher estimate of nearly 200 cases in children around the world was reported on Tuesday. The Canadian health officials have not provided the total number of cases of this mysterious liver disease yet.
According to reports, the cases that have been reported worldwide have struck children from one month to 16 years old.
Reportedly, the viruses are usually known to cause hepatitis was not found in any of the infected children. Moreover, according to the WHO, there’s been one death so far, and about 10 percent of the impacted children have required liver transplants.
Symptoms of the illness include abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, increased liver enzyme levels, and jaundice.
According to the global health agency, an adenovirus, a type of virus that results in cold-like symptoms, has been found in at least 74 cases. A further 18 have a specific version, called adenovirus type 41.
The experts have warned that it has not caused hepatitis like this in healthy kids before. Meanwhile, 20 cases were positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, and 19 had both SARS-CoV-2 and adenovirus.
