Portugal reports more suspected cases
Portugal registers more suspected cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin, reported by the Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte (CMIN) in less than one year of age.
According to ‘RTP’, two of the children – one aged two months and the other aged four – were admitted to this health facility in April, the other – less than a year old too – entered this month with severe forms of hepatitis.
The youngest had a herpes virus A infection, the four-month-old was infected with Covid-1 and the third had an unidentified fulminant infection whose cause had not yet been identified.
In this case, finally the season, the child is already recovering and is being advanced in consultation. As for the others, I’m still worried.
The cases were all notified to the General Directorate of Health (DGS), because there is no confirmation of the causes and thus-intentioned for the global investigation.
These three suspected cases have already been reported to health authorities. All cases have been confirmed, since the beginning of the first case (which were two suspected cases from the ECDC) and “it is normal that they continue to appear”, according to Paula Vasconcelos, from the Center for Emergencies in Public Health, at the DGS.
Globally, around 300 cases of this atypical form of hepatitis are reported, with the United States reporting five deaths and 15 liver transplants.
Faced with a disease of still unknown cause, which is under investigation, DGS Interiors recommend the reinforcement of general individual protection measures, such as hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, aeration and ventilation of spaces or frequent cleaning and disinfection. equipment and surfaces.
If a child has adequate maintenance of education and gastrointestinal, it should be avoided, as usual, day care or teaching.
“Due to the need to better understand this situation”, says the DGS through having formally participated in several working meetings with its counterparts, from the National Program for Viral Hepatitis, in partnership with the SPP.
What you already know:
Rui Tato Marinho, coordinator of the national program for viral diseases at the DGS, had already referred to the disease that results in “very large changes in liver diseases” and “It often starts with vomiting, stomach pains and more serious fever, yellow eyes.” , the so-called jaundice”.
According to the specialist, “it is a very small child, between 2 and 4 years old”, in which “a virus known as ‘adenovirus’ was detected, which was also identified in Covid, but it does not mean anything”, explained at the end of the month. , said that “it is not one of the common viruses, A, B,C,D,E”, that are identified most frequently.
“In about 10% of cases” a transplant is required. “In 10 children, one now needs a transplant, and around 17 have already been transplanted, which denotes the seriousness of the matter”, he also said.
The doctor stressed at the beginning it is difficult to say that it is an acute hepatitis to be sure, that it is necessary to “balance to the hybrid”, but “I would not put people in panic”.
“Parents, grandparents and caregivers are usually very attentive to children and are treated for the slightest thing. Parents are good parents. That’s why it’s not worth everyone rushing to the emergency room to get the liver done,” she warned.
Rui Tato Marinho “preferred that (the outbreak)” but he does not consider that Portugal will escape, since it has already been produced in many European countries, including in the neighboring country. “Now there is no chance of fleeing, if you are already in Spain it is not impossible for you to come to Portugal”, he said.
Symptoms to watch out for:
Hepatitis of unknown origin is, as its name implies, a mystery to the medical community for now. As information so far is scarce, but there are two symptoms that parents should be aware of.
“A very complete process when one appears whose agent we do not know about the disease. We are not even sure at the moment that it is a communicable disease, because the epidemiological pattern is not very clear”, says virologist Laura Brum, in statements to ‘SIC Notícias’.
According to the official, “all this is still very early and in the information gathering phase”, but it is already possible to perceive some more specific symptoms of the disease, pay special attention to which parents should pay special attention.
“In addition to the gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting, this is characterized by jaundice, a yellowish color of the skin and eyes, and the stools may be more whitish/discolored”, he emphasizes. “There are two signs that it is important for parents to be more vigilant in this situation”, he concludes.