Increasing number of acute hepatitis cases in children in 20 countries

According to the World Health Organization's announcement on May 3, at least 228 children were reported to have likely contracted acute hepatitis, dozens of other cases are being treated.

Cases of acute hepatitis above have been reported in 20 countries and are common in children aged 1 month to 16 years.

Earlier, the Indonesian Ministry of Health advised people to increase monitoring and vigilance for acute hepatitis in children after the country recorded 3 cases of suspected death from this disease. These three children presented with symptoms such as vomiting, severe diarrhea, fever, jaundice, convulsions, and loss of consciousness.

3D illustration showing liver infected with hepatitis virus.

Currently, the Indonesian Ministry of Health is investigating the cause of acute hepatitis through testing. The Indonesian Ministry of Health spokesman urged people to be careful and calm during the investigation. The ministry has also issued a circular to promote acute hepatitis surveillance nationwide.

The circular requires medical facilities along with other research institutes nationwide to monitor and report cases of acute jaundice, and update them into the Early Warning and Response System. Symptoms to watch out for include discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes, and yellow, dark urine.

The Indonesian Ministry of Health also requested relevant parties to notify people to immediately go to the nearest medical facility and service for check-ups if they have the syndrome of jaundice, and at the same time build and strengthen the network. monitoring across interdisciplinary programs and applications.

Also in Asia, over the weekend, Singapore confirmed the case of a 10-month-old baby with acute hepatitis. Health officials in the country are currently investigating whether this case shares symptoms with other cases reported worldwide. A baby with hepatitis in Singapore had Covid-19 in December 2021.

Previously, according to data as of April 21 of WHO, 169 cases of mysterious hepatitis in children have been detected in the world. Among them, there are 114 cases in the UK, 13 in Spain, 12 in Israel, 9 in the US and 21 other cases scattered in Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway, France, Romania and Belgium. According to WHO, at least 17 children globally have had a liver transplant after contracting the disease.

Mysterious acute hepatitis is common in children aged 1 month to 16 years. Before signs of severe hepatitis, pediatric patients often present with symptoms including jaundice, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. According to WHO, common pathogens that cause acute viral hepatitis such as hepatitis A, B, C, D and E are not found in all cases of mysterious acute hepatitis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the adenovirus can be the cause of hepatitis cases. However, other factors are still under investigation, including environmental factors.