UKHSA continues to investigate a rise in cases of sudden onset hepatitis (liver inflammation) in children, with data and findings on cases resident in England. Information gathered through the investigations increasingly suggests that the rise in severe cases of hepatitis may be linked to adenovirus infection, but other causes are still being actively investigated.
The Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex, Mims Davies commented:
“Whilst these reports are somewhat worrying for parents, I understand that the chance of children catching this virus remains low. Meanwhile please do be vigilant and contact your GP if your child has symptoms of hepatitis, including yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice). Do follow your Nursery or Schools guidance on absence for diarrhoea and vomiting. Good hygiene, including supervising hand washing in young children, can help to prevent infections that can cause hepatitis.”
Since last week, another 18 children in the UK with hepatitis have been identified with the
most common symptoms being jaundice and vomiting - most have been under five years old.
The adenovirus is passed from person to person via coughs and sneezes, it can cause colds, vomiting and diarrhoea. It's very unusual for adenovirus to be a cause of severe hepatitis in otherwise healthy children, but it has been circulating at high levels since the start of the year after virtually disappearing during the pandemic.
Doctors are also looking to see if a new variant of adenovirus has developed which is making children more ill, or whether a previous infection, such as Covid, could be a factor.
Another possibility is that the pandemic, by delaying young children's exposure to a number of different viruses because of reduced social mixing, may have made them more prone to becoming ill.
The UKHSA says there is no evidence of any link to the Covid-19 vaccine, because most children with hepatitis were too young to receive it.