The Causes Behind the Sudden Increase in Childhood Hepatitis Cases We Ever Know

While Covid-19 and monkeypox have recently grabbed the headline, hepatitis, also known as black jaundice, is slowly progressing in parts of India and around the world. The European Center for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that the number of mysterious hepatitis cases under investigation among children exceeded 600.

The main causes of both hepatitis B and hepatitis C may be repeated use of the same needle by drug addicts, use of infected needles in tattoos, blood transfusions of infected blood or infected life partners. I have. But that treatment is now possible and you don’t have to panic.

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Cases of this liver inflammation have been reported in more than 22 countries, most of which have been reported in the United Kingdom (about 175) and the United States (about 180). The concern is that most of the affected children are under the age of five. According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9% of hepatitis patients in the United States needed a liver transplant.

Returning to India, a mysterious surge of unknown cause Hepatitis in children Those who test positive for Covid-19 are a concern. Experts at Bundelkhand Medical College, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, and Chandigarh Graduate School of Medicine surveyed 475 children who tested positive for Covid from April to July 2021.

Of these, 37 children, about 8%, had Covid Acquired Hepatitis (CAH). Sporadic reports of hepatitis from different parts of India have appeared in the last two years, but this was the first systematic investigation. Symptoms of Covid Acquired hepatitis include nausea, loss of appetite, weakness, and mild fever. A high level liver enzyme called transaminase was found.

What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis or black jaundice refers to an inflammatory condition of the liver. This is generally the result of a viral infection, but there are other possible causes of hepatitis. There are two main types of black jaundice. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C. In general, hepatitis has hundreds of potential causes, and liver inflammation can result from toxins, viruses, or contaminated food or water.

In 1942, 28,585 soldiers became infected with hepatitis after being vaccinated against yellow fever. The number of hepatitis cases during World War II was estimated at 16 million. Only in the 20th century did the main causes of viral hepatitis be identified.

Symptoms of hepatitis

Symptoms of hepatitis or liver inflammation include yellow skin or eyes (jaundice), fever, malaise, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools and joint pain.

Symptoms vary and include yellowing of the eyes, abdominal pain, and dark urine. Some people, especially children, do not experience any symptoms. In chronic cases, liver failure, cancer or scarring can occur.

Causes of hepatitis

The main causes of both hepatitis B and hepatitis C may be repeated use of the same needle by drug addicts, use of infected needles in tattoos, blood transfusions of infected blood or infected life partners. I have.

In these recent cases, experts have focused on a particular adenovirus, type 41. This has been confirmed in most cases of hepatitis in Europe and in many cases in the United States.

Adenovirus 41 usually causes upset stomach, but otherwise it is not usually associated with hepatitis in healthy children. It is associated with hepatitis in children, but the immune system is weakened.

However, experts also do not rule out that Covid-19 may be the root cause of the surge in hepatitis cases, as the wave of cases appears to have occurred during the pandemic.

Health officials say that only 10% to 15% of children with mysterious hepatitis in the United States had Covid-19, according to a nasal swab test performed when they checked in to the hospital.

Treatment of hepatitis

Some antiviral drugs help fight the virus and delay its ability to damage the liver. These medicines are taken orally, but require a doctor’s prescription.

Most people who are vaccinated against hepatitis B are immune for life. Hepatitis B vaccine is usually given two, three, or four times. Infants must receive the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine at birth and usually complete the series 6-18 months after birth.