Acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children: Behind the statistics
- PMID: 35862247
- DOI: 10.1002/hep.32682
Acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children: Behind the statistics
Abstract
Since April 2022, the world has been witnessing a rapidly spreading outbreak of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children < 16 years old that has affected several countries around the world. Most of the cases have presented with the clinical picture of severe hepatitis that has led to resorting to liver transplantation in several cases. Despite the numerous theories that have been suggested on the possible underlying etiologies of the outbreak, an association with hepatitis A-E viruses and a link to COVID-19 vaccines have been excluded. Adenovirus serotype 41 has been detected in numerous cases, which makes it the most likely underlying cause of the disease. Nevertheless, other hypotheses are being investigated to justify the severity of the clinical picture, which is not typical of this type of virus. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge about the outbreak, highlight the suggested working hypotheses, and report the public health measures undertaken to tackle the outbreak.
Copyright © 2023 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
Comment in
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Letter to the Editor: Outbreak of indeterminate acute hepatitis in children, not a new disease but an epidemiological phenomenon.Hepatology. 2024 Jan 1;79(1):E9-E10. doi: 10.1097/HEP.0000000000000622. Epub 2023 Oct 9. Hepatology. 2024. PMID: 37812445 No abstract available.
References
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