Seven more cases of hepatitis have been identified in Ohio, one child is in need of a liver transplant, and doctors say there are 40 in the United States, including one in Wisconsin.
All children ranged in age from 18 months to 10 years and were treated at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
Today, North Dakota also confirmed the first case of hepatitis in a child, and health officials said the patient was now recovering at home. They did not need a liver transplant.
A total of 14 states have reported cases of mysterious hepatitis, including six liver transplants and one death.
Researchers are puzzled as to what causes the increase in disease, as none of the infected children have tested positive for the viruses that cause normal hepatitis.
The advanced theory is that the adenoviruses that cause this flu may be behind many diseases. However, suggestions that weaken the immune system or prevent a previous Covid infection have not been ruled out.
Ohio and North Dakota became the thirteenth and fourteenth states to report confirmed or suspected cases of mysterious hepatitis.
To date, more than 220 cases of the mysterious disease have been reported worldwide in countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain.
A total of four deaths have been reported so far, one in the United States and three in Indonesia.
Dr. Jorge Bezerra, director of the Pediatric Liver Care Center in Cincinnati, said they had seven cases.
He told the NB: “We’ve seen gold, we’ll see a seventh today. They’re still coming.”
South Dakota became the twelfth state to report hepatitis cases yesterday.
His epidemiologist, Dr. Josh Clayton, called on doctors across the country to pay attention to other children with the disease.
Other states where the disease has been reported so far are Alabama, Delaware, Louisiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, Wisconsin, California and Minnesota.
New York, Illinois and Georgia said they were investigating suspected cases.
The cause of the condition is still unknown, and experts warn that it may take at least three months to find out.
Dr. Nicole Safier, a radiologist at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Center in New Jersey, told DailyMail.com today that the cases may have been caused by a weakened immune system.
He said: “Over the past two years, children have been protected from the effects of pathogens on a daily basis through wearing masks, reduced social interaction and distance learning.
‘[As a result]It is possible that children protected from the pandemic will now be more susceptible to common pathogens such as adenovirus. ‘
The World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday that at least 228 possible cases of hepatitis have been reported in children in 20 countries.
It said more than 50 other cases were being investigated.
Most cases were 145 from the UK and 20 from the US, which have the most powerful surveillance systems.
The agency did not say in which countries additional cases were reported, but other health authorities have identified the disease in Austria, Germany, Poland, Japan and Canada, and Singapore is investigating a possible case in a 10-month-old baby.
Indonesia said on Tuesday that three children suspected of having hepatitis had died of unknown causes.
In the United States, children with hepatitis are generally less than 10 years old.
Patients with the disease suffer from vomiting, diarrhea and jaundice – where the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow – the CDC said.
More than half also developed fever.
Many children who underwent tamponade tested positive for adenovirus, reinforcing theories that it may be behind the high incidence of the disease.
However, some do not believe that it is not uncommon to become infected with the virus.
Dr Mira Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at Britain’s UKHSA health agency, told parents that the risk of their children becoming infected with hepatitis was “very low”.
“However, we warn parents to beware of signs of hepatitis, especially jaundice, which is especially noticeable as yellow in the whites of the eyes, and if you are concerned, see a doctor,” he said. he said.
Dr. Chand added, “Regular hygiene measures, including thorough hand washing and proper hand washing in children, can help reduce the spread of many common infections.
“As always, children who notice symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea should stay home and not return to school or kindergarten until 48 hours after the symptoms have stopped.”
Hepatitis is usually rare in children, but experts have found more cases in the UK than expected in a year since January.
Scientists have previously speculated that the cases may be the “tip of the iceberg,” but there may be more than previously observed.
It is especially difficult to look for unknown causes, as there may be several factors behind the disease that do not match all diseases.
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