Mysterious childhood hepatitis linked to dogs?

UK health officials are investigating the link between dogs and an increase in mysterious cases of hepatitis in children.

According to Telegraph, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the number of mysterious hepatitis cases in children in this country has increased suddenly, adding 18 children after a week. The total number of patients in the UK up to this point is 163, of which, 11 children received a liver transplant because of severe organ damage.

Clues of mysterious hepatitis in children

Hepatitis of unknown cause is very rare in children. The number of new cases globally as of May 1 as reported by WHO is at least 228 cases in 20 countries. In addition, 50 other cases are suspected, awaiting verification.

The UK was the first to warn about mysterious hepatitis in children. Currently, this is also the country that records the highest number of children with mysterious hepatitis in children in the world.

British health officials say an adenovirus – the type that usually causes the common cold – could be the culprit. But recent clues led them to hypothesize more.

The report found a “relatively large number” of children (70/93 children in the survey) living with or in contact with dogs before getting sick. “We are clarifying the relationship between dogs and an increase in mysterious cases of hepatitis in children,” the UKHSA report reads.

However, they note that dog breeding is very popular in the UK. Current data are rather limited, making it difficult to assess whether the cause of mysterious hepatitis in children is dog-related. It is too early for them to draw any conclusions at this point.

Meanwhile, Professor Francois Balloux, director of the University of London Genetics Institute, said he “couldn’t find any reasonable explanation” for the link between dog exposure and childhood hepatitis. . “The dogs carry adenoviruses, including CAV-1, which causes liver disease in these animals. However, there is no evidence that CAV-1 can infect humans. Telegraph quote the expert.

On Twitter, epidemiologist Dr Meaghan Kall, of the UK’s Health Security Agency, asserted that this hypothesis was “too far-fetched”.

The leading suspect of this mysterious hepatitis is believed to be an adenovirus. 72% of children in the UK have tested positive for this virus, of which, the majority are adenoids 41.

Adenovirus 41 is mainly transmitted by the fecal-oral route and is the cause of hepatitis in immunocompromised children. It may also be one of the (uncommon) factors leading to hepatitis in otherwise healthy children. However, experts are still learning about the link between the virus and hepatitis in general.

About 50% of children develop antibodies to adenovirus 40 and 41 by age 4. Adenoviruses are usually spread from an infected person to a healthy person through close contact such as touching, shaking hands, droplets or objects, surfaces containing the virus.

Long-term social distancing could be a factor

The UK Health Security Agency has not ruled out many other factors that could amplify the spread of the mysterious hepatitis. One theory is that prolonged periods of social distancing may weaken immunity in children. Because they are less exposed to common pathogens when many places are blocked. Or some virus is working in tandem with another infection.

This hypothesis includes SARS-CoV-2. Around 14% of sick children across the UK have tested positive for nCoV. Therefore, scientists do not rule out the possibility that mysterious cases of hepatitis in children are complications of a previous Covid-19 infection.

Another possibility is a wave of adenovirus infections. It is possible that very rare complications are starting to appear more often or that this is a new adenovirus strain.

On May 6, Dr Meera Chand, Clinical Director and Emerging Infections at UKHSA, urged parents to pay attention to the symptoms of mysterious hepatitis in children. The most common symptom – seen in more than 70% of children – is jaundice. In addition, vomiting and pale stools are also common.

She emphasized: “The possibility of children contracting mysterious hepatitis in children is extremely low. However, we continue to remind people to be on the lookout for any symptoms of hepatitis. Parents should contact a doctor immediately if their child has these characteristics.”

According to unofficial data, as of May 8, at least 22 countries have recorded cases of mysterious hepatitis. In which, the most is in the UK (163), followed by the US (109). The epidemic has also spread to Asia, Oceania, and Europe. A total of 9 children have died, the most in the US with 5 cases.