Increase in hepatitis of unknown origin in children, says ECDC

The ECDC said cases have also been notified in Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands, as well as the United States

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has said there has been a further increase in cases of hepatitis of unknown origin in children.

Cases of the unexplained liver inflammation, which were first detected in Scotland earlier this month, have been reported in a number of countries including Ireland.

The ECDC said cases have also been notified in Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands, as well as the United States.

Scottish health authorities had initially reported 10 cases of acute hepatitis in children aged under 10 on 5 April, the origin of which was not established.

Three days later, 74 further cases were identified across the UK, before additional incidences of hepatitis were reported in other countries.

In Ireland, fewer than five cases of children with hepatitis of unknown cause have been detected over the last six weeks.

However, the Health Service Executive said "this is more than would usually be expected over a six-week period."

The HSE said investigations are currently ongoing to identify the cause of these illnesses.

In a statement, it said "the children affected have no links to the other children involved and to date no single virus has been identified in the cases."

The HSE also confirmed that the Irish cases have no links to the UK cases and "none had a recent travel history to the UK before onset of symptoms".

"The common viruses that cause hepatitis (hepatitis viruses A, B, C, and E) have not been detected in any of the cases," the HSE added.

In an update today, the ECDC said "investigations are ongoing in all countries reporting cases. At present, the exact cause of hepatitis in these children remains unknown."

The agency said "the incident team in the United Kingdom, where most of the cases have occurred to date, consider that an infective cause is most likely based on the clinical and epidemiological features of the cases under investigation."

The cases in the UK had increased levels of liver enzymes and many were jaundiced, while some reported gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting in the preceding weeks but most did not have a fever.

Some of the cases required care at specialist children's liver units and a few had undergone liver transplantation, according to the ECDC.

In a statement, it said "no link to the Covid-19 vaccine was identified and detailed information collected through a questionnaire to cases about food, drink and personal habits failed to identify any common exposure."

The ECDC is working with teams in each of the countries reporting cases, along with the World Health Organisation and other key partners to support the ongoing investigations.

Here, the HSE and the Department of Health are continuing to keep the matter under close review and have issued precautionary information to GPs and paediatric consultants.

The HSE has advised parents to be aware of symptoms of hepatitis and to go to their GP for assessment if their child develops symptoms of jaundice, which include "discolouration of the white of the eye, dark urine and, or pale stools."

The HSE also said "if your child is unwell with respiratory or diarrheal or hepatitis symptoms keep your child at home and do not send to crèche, preschool or school until they are better."

In Northern Ireland, the Public Health Agency has said there have been fewer than five cases reported as of last week.

The PHA said it is "working with counterparts in other jurisdictions on a UK-wide investigation into cases of hepatitis in children."