- The origin of this new disease or what causes it is still not known with certainty.
- So far, 21 cases and one death from acute childhood hepatitis have been confirmed in Mexico.
- Of the 650 probable cases quantified in the world, at least 6% of children have required liver transplants due to the deterioration suffered by the organ.
The acute childhood hepatitis of unknown cause has drawn attention, because in mid-April, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a health alert about its occurrence in the United Kingdom. Since then, nine deaths have been reported among the 650 cases in 33 countries, including Mexico, with 21 diagnoses and one confirmed death.
Symptoms in patients
This condition has caused interest because it is not related to the types of viral hepatitis that were previously known (A, B, C, D and E) or due to some intoxication caused by medications or substances. While it is characterized by causing inflammation in the liver with symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, fever, muscle pain, elevated liver enzymes and, above all, jaundice, a yellow coloration in the eyes and skin.
“The clinical picture presented by all the cases confirms that it is indeed an outbreak of hepatitis, but what is unknown is what causes it, since laboratory tests deny that these childhood diagnoses are caused by viruses already known to be associated with the disease. .”, pointed out Saúl Villa Treviño, a researcher at the Department of Cell Biology and who has studied diseases that affect the liver throughout his career.
According to the latest report from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), of the 650 probable cases quantified up to the month of May, at least six percent of children have required transplants due to the deterioration suffered by the organ.
Theories about the possible cause of childhood acute hepatitis
Despite the fact that cases are increasing, the WHO has limited information. One of the hypotheses of its cause is an adenovirus infection, detected in the majority of British cases. Specifically, the F41 subtype is indicated, which generates gastrointestinal symptoms.
These types of pathogens circulate among humans and cause various ailments, such as respiratory or gastrointestinal infections, but had not been linked to hepatitis.
Another hypothesis is based on the decrease in defenses in children due to the lack of exposure to the environment due to isolation during the pandemic. As they are not in previous contact with viruses, once they are exposed to them, their immune response is weak and therefore the disease is more aggressive.
However, not all reported cases of severe acute childhood hepatitis have shown the presence of adenovirus. Therefore, more information is required to determine the origin of the disease.
In this sense, several national and international authorities, as well as different working groups, carry out more detailed epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, histopathological and toxicological studies on the possible causes. Additional investigations are also planned to determine if the cases detected are above the expected reference levels.
Despite not confirming any of the hypotheses that cause the disease, its transmission routes could be through those expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes and by the fecal-oral route, just like bacteria, parasites and other viruses that give rise to multiple gastrointestinal infections.
Main prevention recommendations
The problem of not knowing the origin is that it is not known exactly what specific actions can stop the disease. For this reason, Villa Treviño explained that, in order to prevent contagion, it is advisable to continue with the basic hygiene measures established throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
The essential ones are washing hands, covering coughs or sneezes, not sharing food, drinks, cutlery and dishes. Also perfectly clean and disinfect the objects that are handled, in addition to having a complete vaccination schedule against hepatitis A and B.