Mysterious variant of hepatitis in children is now also popping up in our country

A case of the new, until recently unknown variant of hepatitis in children has also been discovered for the first time in our country. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported this on Saturday. ‘Many questions still need to be answered’, says virologist Steven Van Gucht of Sciensano.

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“It is true that we have reported a possible case to the World Health Organization and to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control,” confirms Van Gucht. ‘But at the same time it is very important to make it clear that we do not know exactly what is going on. There are still a lot of open questions that we want to see answered.’

According to Van Gucht, it is certain that more cases will be reported in our country within this and a few weeks. ‘Then it will be important to investigate whether there are common factors.’

‘Not the same as the corona pandemic’

Well three years ago, the coronavirus was also heralded as a ‘mysterious’ lung disease. A real pandemic followed. But Van Gucht is tempering the unrest about this form of hepatitis. ‘This is of a different order, you know. We don’t even know yet if this is caused by something viral. More research is needed for that. The case mentioned is also not very exceptional. We see cases of acute liver inflammation every year, sometimes the cause cannot be found.’

At least 169 cases have been reported worldwide so far, the majority in the United Kingdom (114). In addition, cases have also been identified in Spain (13), Israel (12), USA (9), Denmark (6), Ireland (less than 5), Netherlands (4), Italy (4), Norway (2), France (2), Romania (1) and now also in Belgium. All patients are between 1 month and 16 years old. Seventeen children had to undergo a liver transplant. One child has died.

“But again, there is no need to panic,” said the virologist. ‘Currently, it is more of an extra warning for general practitioners, pediatricians and other medics.’ The symptoms described so far are the same as those of liver inflammation: severe abdominal pain, a yellow stool, the whites of the eyes that turn yellow.

Not the usual viruses

It is not yet known what causes the liver disease. It is certainly not one of the usual hepatitis viruses (A to E). No connection has been found with any of the corona vaccines. So far, no other epidemiological risk factor, such as a recent trip abroad, has been identified.

However, as a potential cause, an adenovirus is being looked at: 74 cases tested positive for an adenovirus infection. However, the WHO is also investigating other hypotheses, because an adenovirus infection in healthy children has never led to hepatitis before. For example, the World Health Organization is studying whether increased susceptibility due to a lower circulation of adenoviruses during the corona pandemic, the emergence of a new adenovirus or a combination with an infection with the coronavirus could be the cause.

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