New hygiene warning to all parents amid mystery hepatitis outbreak in kids
PARENTS have been warned to keep their children’s hands clean amid the mystery liver disease breakout.
Hepatitis is striking an unusual amount of children in the UK, US and other European nations.
The condition, a broad term for liver inflammation, is often triggered by a viral infection.
While experts still don't know what is behind the recent spate of cases, parents are being warned to practise good hygeine as a precaution.
Scottish Government Public Health Minister Maree Todd told MPs: “At present, we don’t know the cause of the hepatitis – all potential causes are being thoroughly investigated.
“A number of children have tested positive for adenovirus, which is generally mild but which can, in some rare cases, cause hepatitis.”
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Ms Todd said the most effective way to stem transmission of adenovirus, which spreads all year round, was “good hand and respiratory hygiene”.
“I therefore urge anyone taking care of younger children to supervise hand washing and ensure good hygiene,” she added.
Adenoviruses are a group of viruses that can infect the tissue linings of the respiratory tract, eyes, intestines, urinary tract and nervous system.
Infections include common colds, pink eyes, coughs, sore throats, diarrhoea and fever.
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Adenovirus is extremely contagious and spreads via coughing, sneezing, having direct contact with an infected person or the infected object.
Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at the UK Health Security Agency, also said last week that adenovirus infection was “one of the possible causes that we are investigating”.
“However, we are thoroughly investigating other potential causes,” she added.
The World Health Organisation said last week it had first been notified of ten cases of hepatitis across the central belt of Scotland alone.
It then identified 64 more cases in children across the UK under the age of 10.
On Tuesday, Ms Todd told the Scottish Parliament the number of infections north of the border stood at 13.
She said that only seven or eight such cases would be expected in a whole year if there was not another underlying condition present.
Other possible explanations being investigated include Covid infection.
But officials stressed there is.
Ms Todd assured MSPs all of the youngsters in Scotland – aged between one and 10 years old – had not received a dose of the inoculation.
“Although investigations into the cause are ongoing, we are able to definitively confirm there is no connection between the Covid-19 vaccination and these cases,” she said.
“None of the infected children have received a first dose.”
Ms Todd said that, given reports of cases in the US and EU, the virus was now a “global concern”, and experts were “working hard” to identify the cause.
She told MSPs the cases were “unusual” given they do not appear to have been caused by “recognised strains of the virus”.
There are five main types of hepatitis caused by viruses known as A, B, C, D and E.
However, lab tests have excluded these viruses in these cases of hepatitis, the WHO said.
Hepatitis is a broad term for liver inflammation that can have a number of causes.
It can, in serious cases, lead to liver failure.
Eight children are currently known to have had liver transplants after becoming severely ill with the illness - six in the UK and two in the US.
A specialist in virology at Imperial College London, who wished to remain anonymous, told it was “very unusual and rare” for children to develop hepatitis as severe as this.
He said: “The number of cases is exceptional.
"It makes people think there is something unusual going on – such as a virus that has mutated or some other cause. It has sent alarm bells ringing.”
The virologist added it was "highly unusual" that these children appeared to have few symptoms of hepatitis until they had jaundice.
Jaundice causes yellowing of the eyes and skin and is a sign of something seriously wrong with the liver.
Parents of young children have been urged to watch out for jaundice.
Other signs of hepatitis include a high temperature, a general feeling of being unwell, feeling or being sick and loss of appetite.
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Cases of hepatitis in children now been reported in four countries in Europe - Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain - and the US, health officials say.
It is not clear how many cases are in the European countries other than three in Spain.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis?
The 10 main hepatitis symptoms are:
- Dark urine
- Pale, grey-coloured poo
- Itchy skin
- Yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)
- Muscle and joint pain
- A high temperature
- Feeling and being sick
- Feeling unusually tired all the time
- Loss of appetite
- Tummy pain