The general director of Health Surveillance, Guillermo Sequera, explained to radio 1000 that cases of severe acute hepatitis that affect children in some countries and are not identified usually occur, although not frequently.
Sequera recalled that the event was first reported on April 5, 2022 by the United Kingdom’s National Liaison Center for International Health Regulations, which previously reported the occurrence of 10 cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown etiology in young children. healthy (age range: 11 months to five years) in Scotland.
Likewise, the director of Health Surveillance mentioned that the cause attributed to vaccination against COVID-19 was ruled out, taking into account that the first 10 cases reported in that country, corresponding to children between 11 months and five years old were not vaccinated. with anticovid.
“It was said that acute hepatitis was associated with vaccination against COVID-19 but it was directly ruled out because of these first 10 cases, none were vaccinated,” he remarked.
To date, 348 probable cases have been reported in 21 countries, including 26 children who required liver transplantation. Fifteen countries have reported 5 or fewer cases.
Regarding the situation in the country, the senior official from the health portfolio explained that Paraguay currently does not report suspected or probable cases of acute hepatitis of unknown cause. However, “childhood hepatitis of unknown cause has always existed,” he maintained.
