Indonesia's Ministry of Health on Monday urged parents to be on the look out for symptoms of the illness, which include jaundice - yellowing of the skin and whites of eyes - as well as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and dark-colored urine. patients have tested positive for the hepatitis viruses. They are also looking into whether a new Covid variant or previous Covid infection could be behind the uptick in cases. health chiefs believe the adenovirus may be behind the sudden spate of hepatitis cases.īut some experts suggest the illness could also be triggered by weakened immunity among children due to lockdowns. The state's Department of Health said it is not collecting information on the hepatitis outbreak. They have both tested positive for adenovirus, which can trigger the common cold. Children's Hospital, told Fox17 at least two cases had been recorded in the state so far. In Tennessee, Dr Saeed Mohammad, also a pediatric gastroenterologist at Monroe Carell Jr. The Minnesota Department of Health told it was now following up on 'several cases' of the illness. She told : 'I pray for that kid to turn around, which they might, but some of those indicators do say that it is severe and so we have evaluated this patient for transplant.'ĭoctors at the hospital also revealed they had another patient with unexplained hepatitis who needed a liver transplant. In more dangerous cases where the liver fails, children can be put into induced comas to deal with brain swelling caused by ammonia build-up.Ī liver transplant may be necessary if the liver has become damaged to self-repair, although this is incredibly rare.ĭoctors in Minnesota and Tennessee have not revealed the ages of their patients.īut in Minnesota one child is still in hospital, pediatric gastroenterologist at M Health Fairview hospital Dr Heli Bhatt said. Treatment depends on severity, with some patients able to fight off the illness on their own. Infected people can also suffer muscle and joint pain, a high temperature, feeling and being sick and being unusually tired all of the time. Hepatitis often has no noticeable symptoms - but they can include dark urine, pale grey-coloured faeces, itchy skin and the yellowing of the eyes and skin. The UKHSA ruled out the Covid vaccine as a possible cause, with none of the British cases so far having been vaccinated because of their age. Some children have tested positive for adenovirus, which usually causes cold, while other have been infected with Covid - but no clear theme has emerged. None of the cases have been caused by any of the five typical strains of the virus - hepatitis A, B, C, D and E - leaving experts baffled by the outbreak. *cases in Canada, Japan, and Illinois, Wisconsin and New York are still yet to be confirmed
Most are in the UK and U.S., which have a stronger surveillance system. More than 200 child hepatitis cases of unknown origin have been confirmed worldwide in the mystery outbreak - which experts say is just the 'tip of the iceberg'. It is not clear what is causing the spate of illnesses, although experts have linked it to adenovirus - which normally triggers the common cold - and even suggested lockdowns could be responsible. Tests are underway to confirm the cause of death, although Indonesia has not officially logged any cases of hepatitis since the outbreak began. It would also be the second country in the world to report fatalities from the disease.Ĭhild patients' symptoms included nausea, vomiting, heavy diarrhea, fever, jaundice, seizures and loss of consciousness - all tell-tale signs of the deadly liver disease.
Indonesia is now probing three deaths from a mysterious hepatitis which, if confirmed, would bring the global total to at least four. total to at least 31 cases across 11 states, with five children having received liver transplants and one death confirmed in Wisconsin. Tennessee doctors also say they have spotted at least two cases. Minnesota has spotted two cases, doctors said, including a baby who needed a liver transplant and a second patient still in hospital awaiting a transplant. Minnesota and Tennessee have now both reported cases of unexplained hepatitis, with one registering a liver transplant - as global death toll rose to at least four including a fatality in America.