Scientist provides insights on mysterious hepatitis outbreak in youngsters

A British scientist looking into a strange worldwide hepatitis outbreak that has infected hundreds of children throughout the world says researchers are coming closer to determining the source as more signs surface.

The UK Health Security Agency called Judith Breuer, professor of virology and director of the pathogen genomes section at University College London, to study a cluster of cases discovered in Scotland last month.

She and a research team at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital are utilising metagenomics, or the study of genetic material, to determine which viruses are present in RNA and DNA samples from sick infants in the hopes of determining the cause of the outbreak.

Although no definitive results have been reached, adenovirus and immune systems compromised by coronavirus lockdowns are likely to be important causes.

At least 348 children have been diagnosed with this new hepatitis worldwide, with some requiring liver transplants and certain countries, like Ireland and Indonesia, reporting a small number of deaths.

As of May 12, the HSA recorded 176 verified instances of abrupt onset hepatitis in children under the age of ten in the United Kingdom. At least 11 of them have undergone liver transplants.

The majority of the instances are in children under the age of five, who had initial symptoms of gastroenteritis, such as diarrhea and nausea, followed by the onset of jaundice.

None of the usual viruses that cause hepatitis (hepatitis viruses A to E) have been found in the children who have suffered from the recent cases.

Many of the youngsters who have become ill with the ailment have tested positive for adenovirus, a viral family that may cause illnesses ranging from conjunctivitis to pneumonia to the common cold.

Previous research discovered that 91 of 126 children had adenovirus in their circulation.

Prof Breuer says her team is studying a variety of adenovirus strains, including F41, a common kind that causes gastrointestinal issues in youngsters but seldom causes serious disease.

“It’s difficult to know whether adenovirus is going around at the moment or if it is just an incidental finding,” she told The National. “They’re quite difficult to determine what type it is just from ordinary laboratory tests.”