Doctors suggest adenovirus link to child hepatitis cases

Health officials are now investigating 108 cases of sudden-onset hepatitis - or liver inflammation - in children in the UK since the start of this year.

They say it is increasingly likely a common adenovirus is the cause but have not ruled out Covid-19.

Officials are examining 79 confirmed cases in England, 14 in Scotland and 15 across Wales and Northern Ireland.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said parents should be on the lookout for symptoms such as jaundice.

The first sign of an unusual rise in liver inflammation in young children was spotted in Scotland in late March.

UKHSA director of clinical and emerging infections Dr Meera Chand said officials were looking at a range of possible factors that could be causing children to be admitted to hospital.

"Information gathered through our investigations increasingly suggests that this is linked to adenovirus infection," she said.

Other possible explanations include Covid-19, other infections or an environmental trigger.

The UKHSA says there is "no link" with the Covid-19 vaccine, as none of the children involved has been vaccinated.

Adenoviruses are a family of viruses that usually cause a range of mild illnesses such as colds, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Hepatitis is not a common complication of these viruses but in rare cases a link has been found.

The UKHSA said 77% of childhood cases currently under investigation had tested positive for some form of adenovirus.

Eight of the 108 had received a liver transplant, it added.

Scientists and clinicians are investigating whether there has been a change in the genetic make-up - or genome - of the virus that might trigger liver inflammation more easily.

To reduce spread, Dr Chand said parents should supervise good handwashing and hygiene at home, as well as keeping an eye out for possible symptoms.

"We are calling on parents and guardians to be alert to the signs of hepatitis - including jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin - and to contact a healthcare professional if they are concerned," she said.

Other symptoms of the liver condition include:

In the US, Alabama's public-health department said nine cases had been found in one- to six-year-olds, with two needing liver transplants.

It's a broad term used to describe inflammation of the liver.

Usually the result of a viral infection, it can also be caused by exposure to some chemicals, drinking too much alcohol, drugs and certain genetic disorders.

There are five main types of hepatitis caused by specific viruses - known as A, B, C, D and E - but none of those so far appears to have caused the liver inflammation seen in these children.

Some types of hepatitis can pass without any serious problems, while others can be long-lasting.