In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the world is preparing for a new health threat.
The World Health Organization issued an international alert, which includes Chile, due to the aggressive hepatitis that affects children under 10 years of age in various parts of Europe and the US.
What is worrying: 30% of the cases have required a liver transplant to save the life of the affected person, and the cause of the infection is also unknown.
According to the WHO, there are already 169 cases present in 11 countries, one of them fatal.
And although the Government has not confirmed its presence in Chile, the call of the specialists is to remain alert.
“Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver (…) It occurs secondary to an attack, which can be caused by drugs or by a virus. It is easy to diagnose, by means of a blood test”, he explains. Loreto Twelepediatric infectologist and academic of Medicine of the U. San Sebastian.
“The current concern is that the cases detected are not caused by the traditional viruses that cause hepatitis in children (hepatitis A, B or C viruses), and the high number of cases that require transplantation. That is not common,” she warns. “There are several hypotheses circulating. Among them, which is a mutation of the Adenovirus virus -which usually affects the airways- or which could be related to post covid cases. Or it is definitely a new virus”, he stresses.
“In Chile we treat this pathology, and we have a network that allows proper care of these cases.
In our country, the case we see the most is the Hepatitis A, and is transmitted mainly by poorly washed or contaminated food with the virus”, comments the specialist.
Watch out for the symptoms
The current world fin concerns children under 10 years of age, who may present some of the following symptoms.
- general decay
- Jaundice: yellow discoloration of the skin, mucous membranes, or the whites of the eyes
- clear stools
- very dark urine
- loss of appetite
- Fever
“In the face of any doubt and symptom, the call of the parents is to consult a specialist and see the steps to follow. With prompt diagnosis and proper treatment, hepatitis can be tackled in a good way,” concludes Twele.
