HEALTH officials have confirmed that one more child has died from the mysterious hepatitis outbreak, bringing the national number to six.
The latest fatality was confirmed by the director of infectious diseases, Dr. Jay Butler, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as the number of cases of the disease continues to rise in the US.
2
–
According to the latest data, the US has recorded the most deaths of any country in the world, with six other fatalities in Indonesia, Ireland and Palestine respectively.
To date, a total of 180 cases of hepatitis have been detected in 35 states, requiring 15 liver transplants.
In Europe, cases have also been reported in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands, as advisory boards issued warnings last month.
Experts from the respective health authorities are still not sure what is causing the spike in cases.
––
–
––
–
–
–
–
–
However, it is important to note that there is no connection with the coronavirus vaccine and the increase in hepatitis cases.
Most children who have been tested for hepatitis are under the age of five and so have not received the vaccine.
Doctors have ruled out virtually all theories that suggest a mutation in the virus could cause the disease, or that it could be due to exposure to pets.
Also the usual causes, hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D and E, are all excluded.
Hepatitis causes inflammation of the liver, which causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
Doctors across the country have now been advised to take liver samples from the sickest cases of hepatitis.
Doctors at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said these should be taken, along with stool, throat and blood samples to check for adenovirus.
Scientists have said that the main cause of the outbreak is likely subtype 41 of the adenovirus.
Adenoviruses are spread through close contact, experts say. They can also lead to gastroenteritis and neurological disorders.
The 10 Signs of Hepatitis You Need to Know
- dark urine
- Pale, gray-colored poo
- Itchy Skin
- Yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)
- Muscle and joint pain
- A high temperature
- Feeling and being sick
- Feeling unusually tired all the time
- Loss of appetite
- Stomach ache
–
–
–
Philippa Easterbrook, of the WHO’s Global Hepatitis Program, said last week significant progress has been made with further research and some refinements of the working hypotheses.
“Right now, the leading hypotheses remain those involving adenovirus – with also still important consideration about the role of Covid, either as a co-infection or a prior infection,” she added.
Tests over the past week showed that about 70 percent of cases tested positive for adenovirus.
There are also still cases in children under the age of two with infections spread across the country.
––
–
––
–
–
–
–
–
The CDC says this particular virus can cause vomiting and diarrhea in children, even causing respiratory symptoms similar to the common cold.
Scientists say outbreaks are more likely in densely populated states and cases are expected to continue to crop up throughout the summer.
–
