The World Health Organization (WHO) has been advised of at least 228 confirmed cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children. Authorities have reported activity in twenty countries, with the count nearly doubling in the last ten days, according to a WHO spokesperson.
During a Geneva briefing, spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic indicated that four regions have reported cases and that approximately 50 additional suspected instances are under investigation. The majority of confirmed cases have appeared in Europe, but reports have also emerged from the Americas, the Asia-Pacific region, and South Asia.
The earliest ten cases were documented by the United Kingdom on 5 April in children under ten years old who did not have a preexisting illness. Since then, cases have been identified in nations including Spain, Israel, Denmark, Italy, the United States, Indonesia, and Belgium, among others.
The age range of affected individuals spans from one month to 16 years. In most instances, patients do not exhibit fever, and health care providers have not detected the hepatitis viruses classically linked to hepatitis A, B, C, D, or E in these cases.
There have been at least four fatalities reported, including three in Indonesia. In its 23 April update, the WHO noted that roughly one in ten affected children required a liver transplant after contracting this new illness, which commonly presents with abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting.
Investigations suggest a possible link to adenovirus infections, with several cases showing evidence of adenovirus, perhaps type 41. This virus family is typically associated with milder respiratory infections, which has prompted researchers to explore whether other contributing factors might be involved in this unusual hepatitis presentation in children.