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Severe acute childhood hepatitis: The disease that worries parents and doctors
Since April, the World Health Organization raised an alert about a new disease that has put the medical system and parents in the United Kingdom on alert, it is severe acute childhood hepatitis and now new cases have been registered in other countries.
This disease could be lethal, that is, those who are infected with this virus have a high percentage of losing their lives, if the specialists observe that the symptoms progress faster than they should or if they present liver complications.
To understand the severity, you have to know what it is, according to specialists, hepatitis is a disease in which the liver is inflamed, the viruses responsible are A, B, C, D and E. When inflammation occurs suddenly, it can be considered acute.
Currently, the WHO is conducting a study on this condition in infants, since laboratory tests do not show any link to viral hepatitis. However, many results suggest adenovirus in children.
The adenovirus usually causes vomiting, diarrhea, and respiratory conditions, but for it to get to the point of becoming hepatitis; the patient must have a history of immunocompromise or have a transplant.
In the case of children, none have these antecedents, so there is still no determining cause of the disease.
Hepatitis cases in several countries
Initially, the hepatitis outbreak was in the United Kingdom, but to date there are already more than 20 countries and at least 200 registered cases.
Although the investigations continue and in some way it is difficult to say an exact number of patients with the virus, they are quantified when the laboratory test is carried out on children and there is no trace of hepatitis A, B, C or D.
Although it is true that until now the WHO has not given the alert of a new pandemic, the disease has already reached other continents, such as in America, such as: the United States, Panama and Argentina, while the neighbors remain attentive according to the specifications given by the World Health Organization.
Spain Israel, Denmark, Italy and Belgium join the list of countries that have registered cases of acute hepatitis in children.
Prevention measures
Specialists mainly recommend having the same customs to prevent coronavirus, that is : wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth when coughing, cover when sneezing; Additionally, clean fruits and vegetables well before consuming them.
Vaccines against the virus also become important to prevent contagion or if you get sick, the symptoms would be milder.
Recognize the symptoms
Severe acute hepatitis can present various symptoms such as muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea and fever. But the most characteristic is that the skin and eyes turn yellow, which is medically known as jaundice.
Lack of appetite and dark urine are common symptoms of the disease, as well as pale stools.
