Director of the Director who had guarantees that Portuguese authorities were informed about the National Alert Program for occasional children that were determined as serious guarantees that were identified as almost a hundred of a European level. Origin of the disease has not been identified and the symptoms are easily confused with other diseases
No case of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children has yet been detected in Portugal, but the authorities are attentive: “We are informed and on alert”, Rui Tato Marinho, the director of the National Program for Viral Hepatitis of the Directorate, told CNN Portugal. -General of Health, after the World Health Organization and the European Health Control Center of confirmed cases at the European level.
“We have already communicated to the pediatric network and to the scientific societies for research with information such as information”, disclosed the specialist, who is not “completely rested more recently about the disease. “But we cannot be in alarm”, explains Tato Marinho.
The cause of acute hepatitis is unknown. It is only known that they are not affected by the viruses that are at the origin of the hepatitis more common. “Acute hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, when a virus enters the human being for the first time and causes changes in the first liver”, explains the director of the National Program for Viral Hepatitis. In the cases now reported, they are known to be similar to liver enzyme-like parameters, but show disease-like “specific” symptoms and many other disease-like values.
“If I see a child with eyes, for example, with jaundice, I am immediately on the alert. But to be sure that it is hepatitis, comparisons have to be made”explains Tato Marino.
ONE World Health Organization (WHO) was reported on 5 April for 10 cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in Scotland, in children under ten years of age. On April 8, 7 cases had already been identified in the United Kingdom and as laboratory cases indicated that the origin of the disease was not the normally hepatitis viruses: “Hepatitis and D viruses, when investigated cases were removed after laboratory tests and are 15 laboratory research studies are being investigated”, the WHO said in a WHO statement.
It should be noted that there are six different viruses: A, B, C, D, E G. Hepatitis A and E blood from ingestion of contaminated water or food, B, and D require contact with other fluids, transmitting through sexual intercourse, blood transfusions, needle-sharing or mother-to-child pregnancy.
Hepatitis A evolves from childhood in Portugal and usually appears in childhood or youth for chronic disease or cancer, unlike hepatitis B and C, and the symptoms are similar to those of a non-recurring flu in hospital treatment.
“The vast majority of people had hepatitis A and didn’t realize it, it often goes unnoticed”, pediatrician Caldas Afonso tells CNN Portugal. “That’s why we don’t have great examples for hepatitis A, as recommended for some Brazil, by countries, for example”.
Possibility of being a “new virus”
After years of suspects and UK suspects revealed earlier this month, the WHO pointed out that another five months confirmed in suspects in Ireland and three confirmed cases in suspects were pointed out 13. Denmark and the Netherlands have also reported acute hepatitis situations in children. Outside Europe, nine cases have been confirmed in children aged between 1 and 6 years in the US state of Alabama. These, in addition to acute hepatitis, tested positive children for adenovirus infection, which usually causes respiratory diseases. The WHO also revealed that several children with acute hepatitis were also infected with covid-19. but the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC in the original acronym) has already ensured that there is no link between the disease and the vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, for example.
The vast majority of cases in the UK are in children under the age of five, who are not even vaccinated against Covid-19.”corroborates Alberto Caldas Afonso, the director of the Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte, who admits that behind the acute liver problems is an infectious and non-toxic cause.
Already Tato Marinho points out that “both the adenovirus and SARS-CoV-2 are the extremely new virus”, adding: “At this moment, there is no reason to say that they are the cause of the disease”. specialist. “From the experience we have of other peculiar diseases, such as covid-19 or dengue, sometimes it takes some time to discover”, says the director of the DGS program for viral hepatitis.
“The international reference laboratories are already investigating, it may be a matter of time, after we know what is happening on the ground. A bit like the Judiciary Police”, says the specialist. “What happened with covid-19, for example, was fantastic, in a short time there were vaccines, new things appeared every day”, Tato Marinho.
The president of the Portuguese Society, on the other hand, asked pediatricians, this week, to think about “clinical manifestations that are not so similar” when observing sick children in consultation.
In statements to the situation, Guilherme Macedosa considered that in the disease of this disease, none of them can be infectious (generally viral), toxic, since it was developed that a previous nature in nature or in the type of product that is a dangerous origin has not been identified. consumed, or an immunological reason.
“Also quite absurd, which can still be considered a context not yet of a pandemic, said the gastroenterologist, stressing that it can still be considered a context, it cannot be excluded from a pandemic, stressing that it can be reserved, in which it can be booked. But years, being severe, most likely it is the virus and thus the reason for an infection predominantly below.
Acute hepatitis is “earthquake in children”
Although the cause of these acute hepatitis is certain, there is still no way to prevent it. The ECDC case refers to equipment from the United Kingdom that presented positive cases of the treatment of an infectious agent or a possible toxic hypothesis. However, information collected on people, drink and habits was not found on any exposure or that was common among patients. “Toxicological investigations are ongoing but an infectious issue is considered more likely given the epidemiological picture and clinical features of the cases,” the ECDC said.
The WHO, noting that they are not recommended for travel or trade with the United Kingdom and other countries where they have been identified for their pediatric acute side, based on the information that is available at this time.
It is no longer a specific treatment, and that – in rare cases, where a single solution can assume serious contours resolved with transplantation, hepatitis is normally a favorable disease “self-limited with and evolution”, Caldas Afonso adding that the common symptoms are “non-specific and other illnesses”, namely abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, tiredness or fever.
“Illness is an earthquake in children, it disorganizes”, says Tato Marino. As measures to control the acute change by hydration and seek to monitor the values of changes that may change. Bottomless, “keep the child alive until the complications stage is over”reference. “As you don’t know the cause, there is no specific treatment.concludes.
For the director of the National Program for Hepatitis like Hepatitis, the increase in cases of acute acute can make us start “to think a little more about the liver”, including liver values that compare to routine. “We don’t think much about it, but we have pediatricians in Portugal dedicated to hospital diseases, differentiated”, he highlights, adding: “Another day I spoke with a Spanish colleague and in Spain, which is four times that of Portugal, 15 specialist pediatricians. We, in proportion, have more, seven will be or eight”, he refers, asking parents in the way we face this health problem. “The transplant is a very rare situation and is done mainly in cases of chronic disease or cirrhosis. In Portugal, it is done around one liver transplant per month in children”, he guarantees.
Acute hepatitis cases and the United States, so far in Europe, are in need of liver transplantation, refer to the WHO. No children died.