Based on a study published in the scientific portal The Lancetthe pediatric infectologist Carlos Paz Román explained that the Sars-CoV-2 has properties that create a long-term favorable environment for children to have a exacerbated inflammatory response.
According to Peace and The Lancet, this occurs when infected by adenovirus, which leads to an inflammatory response in the liver. “In a nutshell, the body itself attacks the liver in patients who have had Covid-19“, he indicated.
Likewise, he said that SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause the formation of a viral reservoir, and that the viral persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to the repeated release of viral proteins through the intestinal epithelium. , leading to immune activation.
He regretted that the vaccination rates in children, against Covid-19, continue to be low, since in addition to attacking this problem, immunizers would also keep the risk of severe acute hepatitis at bay.
Most cases of this new hepatitis present with some gastrointestinal symptoms, jaundice, and even acute liver failure, but no signs of known variants of liver disease (A, B, C, D, and E).
Until Tuesday, May 17, there were six Latin American countries that reported probable cases of acute childhood hepatitis of unknown origin, according to the report to the BBC by the adviser on Disease Prevention and Control of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the epidemiologist Henry Perez.
In those six countries – which Pérez preferred not to specify – 23 cases were detected. Additionally, there are another 53 suspects under study.
No deaths had been recorded in the region of confirmed cases or those due to receive a liver transplant until the 17th.
The BBC recalled that the first Latin American country to register a suspected case was Argentina, although it is still under investigation to confirm whether its origin is unknown.
WHO reports
On April 15, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) published an alert on cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown cause in children in the United Kingdom. Since then, more cases have been reported.
As of May 3, 2022, more than 200 cases have been reported in 20 countries. Most are in the UKwhich was the first country to report the occurrence of cases to the WHO.
In the Americas, cases were reported in the United States, and the countries of the Region are oriented to monitor the situation. At the moment, PAHO is informing the countries about criteria and definitions for monitoring.
The outbreak is considered an event of concern that is under investigation by the WHO. So far, laboratory tests rule out cases of known viral hepatitis.
Symptoms
The WHO reported that acute hepatitis has different symptoms: gastrointestinal, such as diarrhea or vomiting, fever and muscle pain, but the most characteristic is jaundice — a yellow coloration of the skin and eyes.
Treatment seeks to relieve symptoms, and manage and stabilize the patient if the case is severe. These recommendations may be adjusted when the origin is determined.
