Post by JoannaL on May 6, 2022 21:52:38 GMT -5
Hepatitis Cases in Children May Be Linked to Dogs
The recent spike in cases of severe hepatitis in children, first reported in the UK, may be linked to dogs. In a recent briefing paper, the UK Health Security Agency reported a high number of “dog exposures” in these cases.
Family questionnaires reveal “relatively high numbers of dog-owning families or other dog exposures,” a spokesperson said, adding this could be coincidental because dog ownership is common in the UK. Thirty-three percent (33%) of households in the UK own dogs and many more children from non-dog-owning households are exposed to dogs when they visit or play with friends.
The mysterious disease has now spread from the UK to other parts of Europe, Asia and the Americas, with 22 countries reporting such cases. Although the numbers worldwide are still low, as of May 19, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control was reporting approximately 600 cases.
At least 11 children have died and 9 percent of those infected require liver transplants.
Sources: NBC News, May 19, 2022; Mike Bailey, ScienceAlert, May 17, 2022; and SkyNews, May 7, 2022.
In excess of 100 cases of children under the age of 10 diagnosed with a severe and mysterious liver disease are being investigated by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Five of those children have died and doctors have been warned to be on the lookout for unexpected cases of hepatitis.
The first case was reported in late October 2021 when health officials in Alabama began investigating the first of nine cases of severe hepatitis in children, none of whom tested positive for the viruses commonly associated with hepatitis.
“We are casting a wide net to broaden our understanding,” Jay Butler, M.D., of the CDC, said today (May 6). He explained the cause of the illness isn’t clear, but adenovirus was detected in at least half the children. The agency, he continued, is “casting a wide net” in its investigation and he emphasized not all cases may be linked to the same cause. “Investigators both here and across the globe are hard at work to determine the cause,” Butler added.
There are dozens of adenoviruses, many of them associated with cold-like symptoms, fever, sore throat and pink eye. However, some can trigger other problems, including inflammation in the stomach and intestines. Officials are exploring a link to one particular version that isn’t normally associated with gut inflammation.
Symptoms of hepatitis, which is an inflammation of the liver, include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools, joint pain and jaundice.
In addition to Alabama, states reporting suspected cases include California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. Puerto Rico also has reported at least one case. (See map above.)
Of interest, the adenovirus can cause hepatitis in dogs and according to a 2019 study, there are documented instances of the virus crossing host species barriers between humans and non-human primates, dogs, cats, swine, sheep, goats and bats.
Sources: Sarah Rumph, Fox News, May 6, 2022; The Centers for Disease Control; VCA Animal Hospitals; and The National Center for Biotechnology Information.