04/25/2022 12:11 (act 04/25/2022 14:25)
Affected children are being treated at St. Anna in Vienna. ©AP
The number of cases of hepatitis of uncertain origin in children has recently increased in Europe. Two suspected cases also became known in Vienna.
After numerous cases of hepatitis of uncertain origin in several European countries, there are now the first suspected cases of the mysterious inflammation of the liver in Austria.
Suspected hepatitis in children at St. Anna in Vienna
Two children being treated at St. Anna in Vienna are affected, the Ministry of Health announced on Monday at the request of the APA. More details are being clarified and have not been announced for now. According to reports, both children are not in critical condition, the APA has learned.
A spokesperson for Children’s Hospital St. Anna stressed to the APA that these are suspected cases for now. These are being clarified. Details about the age or sex of the two children were not released. No information was available on exact health status or symptoms either.
Already 169 Hepatitis Mystery Diseases in Children
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of April 21, at least 169 children had contracted hepatitis of unknown cause in a dozen Western countries. Two-thirds of liver infections have been reported in the UK since early April. The rest is spread across several European countries, from Norway to Romania and the USA. Doctors in Austria were therefore proactively informed last week and are expected to report suspected cases, the Health Ministry said on Monday.
Hepatitis can have many different causes
Hepatitis is the technical term for inflammation of the liver. This is a defense reaction of the body’s own immune system against, among other things, infectious agents or substances toxic to the liver. Disorders of blood flow to the liver or autoimmune diseases can also be causes. There are acute and chronic courses.
Alcoholic hepatitis, virus-related hepatitis (hepatitis A, B, C, D or E), and non-alcoholic fatty liver hepatitis (NAFLD) occur more frequently in the general population, as explained on the health portal “gesundheit.gv. at” of the Ministry of Health. To prevent infection-related inflammation of the liver, knowledge of the route of transmission is of particular importance.
Nearly 1,900 hepatitis cases in 2020 in Austria
A total of 1,896 cases of hepatitis related to viruses A to E were reported in Austria in 2020, according to the Ministry of Health’s annual report on notifiable diseases. Hepatitis B (948) and C (839) viruses were responsible for most illnesses. In 2019, i.e. before the corona pandemic, there were a total of 2,577 proven cases of viral hepatitis in Austria. The course ranges from asymptomatic to nausea, vomiting, general malaise, and yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes, and sclera of the eyes (“jaundice”). There are vaccines against hepatitis A and B.
Corona-related hepatitis in children?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses have been ruled out in laboratory tests in previously known cases of mysterious hepatitis in children. In several cases, a corona or adenovirus infection or both were detected in the small patients. It is not yet clear whether this is the trigger.
In addition to viral hepatitis, there is, for example, toxic hepatitis caused by excessive alcohol consumption or non-alcoholic fatty liver or physical causes such as radiation or medication. Bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections with inflammatory involvement of the liver can also trigger hepatitis. In addition to autoimmune hepatitis, congenital causes of inflammatory liver damage and other influencing factors can also trigger hepatitis.