At least one child has died from a mystery strain of severe hepatitis which has now been reported in 12 countries, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed. The UN body said that it is aware of 169 rare cases of acute hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver, in young children. It can damage your liver and damage can affect how well your liver functions. Hepatitis can be an acute (short-term) infection or a chronic (long-term) infection.
Of 169 rare cases, 17 became so sick they needed liver transplants, reports The Guardian. At least 114 infections are in the UK, followed by Spain, which has recorded 13 cases, and Israel with 12.
The outbreak has also spread to the US, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Norway, Romania and Belgium. While mild pediatric hepatitis is not unheard of, severe hepatitis in previously healthy children is rare, the report said. Health authorities have been investigating the mystery illness, which has affected young people ranging from one month to 16 years old since a cluster of cases have been identified in Scotland between January and mid-April. ALSO READ: 6 important things you need to know about Hepatitis: Cause, Spread, Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention
In an interview with Stat, a US health news website, the WHO has encouraged countries to monitor and report similar cases. The cases are more unusual still because they are not linked to any of the five typical strains of the virus, hepatitis A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis A and hepatitis E usually spread through contact with food or water that was contaminated with an infected person's stool while B, C, and D spread through contact with the blood of someone who has the disease. Also, Hepatitis B and D may spread through contact with other body fluids. This can happen in many ways, such as sharing drug needles or having unprotected sex. Like HIV and hepatitis, Covid cannot infect new born baby from mother: Experts
(With IANS Inputs)
