Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Severe hepatitis of 'unknown origin' in children being investigated in Canada

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Severe hepatitis of 'unknown origin' in children being investigated in Canada

    Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/liver...tery-1.6431872

    Severe hepatitis of 'unknown origin' in children being investigated in Canada
    Unclear if reports linked to unexplained outbreak of more than 160 cases
    Lauren Pelley · CBC News · Posted: Apr 26, 2022 5:52 PM ET | Last Updated: April 26

    Public health officials say they're investigating cases of severe liver disease "of unknown origin" among children in Canada as global scientists race to understand a mysterious hepatitis outbreak that has affected nearly 200 youths around the world.

    "The Public Health Agency of Canada is aware of reports of severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin in young children in Canada," the department said in a statement on Tuesday, in response to questions from CBC News.

    "These are being investigated further to determine if they are related to cases in the United Kingdom and the United States. As the investigation evolves, we will keep the public updated accordingly."

    The latest available data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows at least 169 cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin have been reported in close to a dozen countries, with the bulk of the reports — 114 — from the U.K...

  • #2
    bump this

    Comment


    • #3
      Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/7-cas...ital-1.6447257

      7 cases of severe acute hepatitis reported at Toronto children's hospital
      Hospital for Sick Children 'closely monitoring' for cases
      Lauren Pelley · CBC News · Posted: May 09, 2022 6:50 PM ET | Last Updated: 20 minutes ago

      One of Canada's largest children's hospitals is reporting seven cases of severe acute hepatitis identified in recent months, which may be part of an unexplained outbreak impacting youth in multiple countries, CBC News has learned.

      It's still unclear how many cases have been reported across Canada, or whether any of the cases under investigation at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto — also known as SickKids — are linked to the mysterious instances of serious liver disease among children in the U.K., U.S., Israel and elsewhere.

      A spokesperson for SickKids provided the tally in an email, saying the hospital is "closely monitoring" for any cases of severe acute hepatitis and has reported seven cases meeting the "probable case definition" to Public Health Ontario.

      Those cases were identified between Oct. 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022...

      Comment


      • #4
        bump this

        Comment


        • #5
          Source: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ar...576490852.html

          Alberta reporting two probable cases of mystery liver disease in patients under 16
          By: Daniela Germano, The Canadian Press
          Posted: 6:15 PM CDT Wednesday, May. 11, 2022

          EDMONTON - Alberta’s chief medical officer of health says there are two probable cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children in the province.

          Dr. Deena Hinshaw says both children are under 16.

          She says one of the patients was treated, discharged from hospital and is doing well.

          Hinshaw says the other patient remains in hospital.

          She says she cannot provide more details due to patient confidentiality...

          Comment


          • #6
            Translation Google

            What do we know about cases of severe childhood hepatitis, suddenly numerous?

            SARS-CoV-2, an adenovirus or a co-infection are among the hypotheses studied.


            Melanie Meloche-Holubowski
            at 2 a.m.

            More than 400 children worldwide have contracted severe hepatitis in the past six months, a much higher number than usual. Experts are struggling to understand what the underlying cause is. Here are six questions and answers to explain what we know so far.

            1. What is hepatitis?

            Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can be caused by viral infections (including Hep-A, Hep-B and Hep-C viruses), alcohol consumption, toxins, medications and certain medical abnormalities.

            Symptoms are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, jaundice, fever and fatigue.

            Acute hepatitis rarely occurs in children and the exact cause is often difficult to identify. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, also recalled this week that, even before the pandemic, about half of cases of severe pediatric hepatitis had no known cause.

            In Canada, we see cases of indeterminate hepatitis every year, maybe two or three, normally , says Dr. Fernando Alvarez, director of the liver transplant program at the CHUSaint Justine.

            2. How many cases have been reported?

            According to a report published this week by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control(New window), there are currently approximately 450 cases worldwide and 11 deaths (5 in Indonesia, 1 in Palestine and 5 in the United States).

            In the UK, there are more than 160 children under 16 affected. Eleven of them received a liver transplant. In the United States, where 109 cases have been identified, 90% of children have been hospitalized; fifteen of them needed a liver transplant.

            Cases have also been reported in Italy (36), Portugal (22), Argentina (8), Brazil (8), Costa Rica (2), Indonesia (15), Israel (12), Japan ( 7), Panama (1), Palestine (1), Serbia (1), Singapore (1) and South Korea (1).

            In Canada, as of May 13, there are 7 cases in Ontario, 2 in Alberta and 2 in Manitoba.

            It remains to be determined whether this number represents an increase in cases of unknown origin compared to previous years , writes in an email a spokesperson for the hospital SickKids in Toronto.

            Cases are still relatively rare, but there are enough serious cases to monitor the situation closely , says Montreal epidemiologist Dr. Christopher Labos.

            The first cases were seen in Alabama, USA in October 2021, but researchers initially believed it was a localized problem. It was not until early April that the UK informed the WHOan abnormally high number of cases.

            Dr. Labos specifies that it is still difficult to know with certainty the real number of cases of severe hepatitis in the world. Now that the international community has been alerted, we will be able to better detect the cases, we will be able to make associations between them and thus better understand the cause.

            3. What hypotheses are studied to determine the cause?

            Drs. Labos and Alvarez say the researchers aren't ruling anything out.

            For now, environmental factors do not seem to be involved. The viruses normally associated with viral hepatitis (Hep-A, Hep-B and Hep-C) were not detected in these children.

            Another element is clear, according to Dr. Labos: the vaccination against COVID-19 is not in question since the majority of cases are less than five years old and are not yet eligible for the vaccine against COVID-19. Over 65% of children with severe hepatitis in the UK and over 80% of children in Europe were unvaccinated.

            Everything else is possible. It may be a combination of factors that caused the hepatitis cases , says Dr. Alvarez, adding that one should not jump to premature conclusions.

            Dr. Labos suggests that it is possible that some of the recently reported cases are linked, while others are not. The cause may not be found for some of these cases.

            At the moment, authorities and researchers are mainly looking at two possible causes: an adenovirus and SARS-CoV-2.

            4. Could an adenovirus be the cause?

            According to Dr. Caroline Quach, microbiologist-infectiologist and pediatrician at the CHUSainte-Justine, the adenovirus theory seems the most plausible. This theory is also the one that currently prevails in the United Kingdom.

            Adenoviruses are viruses that spread through close personal contact. There are more than 50 types that can cause infections in humans (respiratory diseases, gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, cystitis and, less frequently, neurological diseases).

            According to the latest WHO report(New window), among 169 cases, 74 children tested positive for adenovirus, including 18 for adenovirus 41. In children, it usually causes acute gastroenteritis which presents as diarrhea, vomiting and fever.

            In the UK, 72% of children tested positive for adenovirus. In Alabama, 7 out of 9 children had been infected with an adenovirus.

            But according to the WHO, although adenovirus is currently thought to be an underlying cause, it does not fully explain the severity of the cases . For example, no child in Israel with severe hepatitis has tested positive for adenovirus.

            “ This adenovirus has been detected in some cases, but not all. It may be a plausible theory, but it doesn't explain everything. »

            — A quote from Dr. Christopher Labs

            Also, according to Dr. Alvarez, adenovirus type 41 is not generally known to cause hepatitis in healthy children. In those who are not on medication or who are not immunosuppressed, hepatitis caused by adenoviruses is usually mild or almost non-existent.

            Dr. Quach, like other experts, wonders if the adenovirus possibly involved has a different genotype, which would lead to more serious lesions than what is usually observed.

            The researchers also wonder if the fact that children were less exposed to adenoviruses during the pandemic could partly explain this increase in hepatitis. Sudden and more frequent exposure to adenoviruses when sanitary measures were lifted may have resulted in a more vigorous immune response in some, causing severe hepatitis.

            5. What about SARS-CoV-2?

            Researchers are also investigating the potential role of SARS-CoV-2.

            Another theory would be COVID-19, which wouldn't be surprising given the recent number of cases, particularly in the UK and the US, where many cases of hepatitis have been reported. But not all children with hepatitis tested positive for COVID-19 , says Dr. Labos.

            According to Dr. Alvarez, it is known that a COVID-19 infection can increase the incidence of hepatitis in some people, but that, generally, these hepatitis are not as serious as those currently studied.

            In Israel, 11 out of 12 children had COVID-19. However, of the eight cases recorded in Alabama, none had been diagnosed with COVID-19 when admitted to hospital. It is not known, however, whether these children have been infected in the past and it is not known how many of the other children with hepatitis in the United States have been infected with COVID-19.

            In the UK, only 18% of children tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 while in hospital. In Scotland, 8 out of 13 children tested negative in the PCR test.

            In Europe, only 12% of the 173 cases were diagnosed with COVID-19 through a PCR test. On the other hand, among the 19 cases where a serological test was done (to detect a previous infection), 74% were positive for COVID-19. This is why several researchers believe that a serological test should be carried out in all children with severe hepatitis in order to know exactly how many of them have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the last few months.

            Moreover, researchers in India estimate that COVID-19 may have caused dozens of unexplained cases of severe hepatitis between April and July 2021.

            Their non-peer-reviewed study shows that among 475 children with COVID-19, 47 had severe hepatitis. Of those 47 children, 37 were classified as having what the researchers called COVID-19-associated hepatitis .

            The only common factor we found was that they were all infected with COVID-19 or they all had a previous COVID-19 infection , CBC told CBC News.(New window)Dr. Sumit Rawat, lead author, microbiologist and associate professor at Bundelkhand Medical College, Madhya Pradesh, India.

            He adds that hepatitis cases suddenly decreased when COVID-19 infection rates fell, but increased when the number of cases was high. According to Dr. Rawat, this is another sign that COVID-19 could be involved.

            Another hypothesis, put forward by researchers in The Lancet(New window), is that a co-infection of an adenovirus and SARS-CoV-2 would have possibly caused these hepatitises.

            6. Should parents be worried?

            The three doctors say the authorities should be on high alert, but not panic. The number of cases remains relatively low, they recall.

            For most children, gastro is a common illness. But as usual, see if it lasts more than a few days and if there are signs of yellowing in the eyes , says Dr. Alvarez.

            Dr. Quach would like to remind you that the adenovirus can be easily destroyed with common cleaning products. We must continue to maintain our usual hygiene practices.

            For his part, Dr. Labos adds that it is wise to continue to protect children from COVID-19 by wearing the mask in crowded and closed places. It's common sense, even if we discover that SARS-CoV-2 is not the cause of hepatitis.

            Plus de 400 enfants dans le monde ont contracté des hépatites graves dans les six derniers mois, un nombre beaucoup plus élevé que d’habitude. Les experts peinent à comprendre quelle en est la cause sous-jacente. Voici six questions et réponses pour expliquer ce que l’on sait à ce jour.

            "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
            -Nelson Mandela

            Comment


            • #7
              bump this

              Comment


              • #8
                Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/phac-...dren-1.6461686

                Officials confirm 10 cases of severe, unexplained hepatitis among Canadian children
                All children were hospitalized, 2 needed liver transplants, says public health agency
                CBC News · Posted: May 20, 2022 6:28 PM ET | Last Updated: May 20

                Ten children in Canada were found to be suffering from severe and mysterious cases of hepatitis over a recent five-month period, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), following an investigation into unexplained liver inflammation in children.

                The cases of "acute severe hepatitis" did not stem from the usual viruses — such as hepatitis A, B, C and E — or any other clear cause, PHAC said in a statement Friday.

                All the children were hospitalized and two needed liver transplants, the statement said. Three of the cases were in Alberta, two in Manitoba, four in Ontario and one was in Quebec.

                The children were all between one and 13 years old and became sick between Nov. 3, 2021 and April 2, the agency said...

                Comment

                Working...
                X