Mysterious Hepatitis Continues to Affect Children in Masses
by Saeed Iqbal
SHARES
According to latest UN reports, more than 1000 children from 35 countries are infected with mysterious liver problems, resulting in more than 22 deaths have been reported so far. These problems are affecting children under the age of five mostly.
Today is #WorldHepatitisDay, a day to raise awareness of viral hepatitis, which leads to severe disease and liver cancer.👩⚕️🏥 We are facing a new outbreak of acute hepatitis infections affecting children.
Learn more about @WHO’s plan on our website: https://t.co/2HKFr7xCwK pic.twitter.com/aajtSKr121
— UN Bonn (@UNBonn) July 28, 2022
Due to this infection, almost twelve children in the United Kingdom would need a lifesaving liver transplant.
The teams of researchers are continuously working to detect the causes behind this outbreak. Researchers from London and Glasgow believe that infants missed out on early immunity to adenovirus-which causes upset stomachs and colds, and adeno-associated virus-which usually do not cause any illness.
These reasons can explain why liver complications are increasing in children, say medical researchers. General physicians are providing information about the symptoms of this viral infection in children. Yellow tinge on the skin or in the white of the eyes is the most common symptom.
Other symptoms include loss of appetite, itchy skin, muscle pain, tiredness throughout the day, high fever, etc.
This virus has infected a child, named Noah. He is among the children who need a liver transplant on an urgent basis. According to a report, he was healthy and effective till suddenly diagnosed with hepatitis.
After getting a liver transplant, his recovery is good so far but he will need to take immunosuppressant medications to stop the body from rejecting the new liver.
In this regard, WHO is providing guidelines to the government of all countries to take measures for stopping the spread of this infection. WHO urges governments to use all effective tools against this deadly disease.
Some countries like Georgia and Brazil are making progress toward the elimination of hepatitis B and C by applying the guidelines of WHO within a short time.
