The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that at least 169 cases of acute hepatitis in children aged one month to sixteen years old had been found in an epidemic affecting 11 nations.

According to the WHO, at least one kid has died as a result of severe hepatitis, and 17 children have needed liver transplants.
In a statement, the WHO said, “It is not yet known whether there has been an increase in hepatitis cases, or an increase in awareness of hepatitis cases that occur at the anticipated rate but go unreported.” “While adenovirus is a possibility, the causal agent is still being investigated. Acute hepatitis (liver inflammation) with considerably increased liver enzymes is one of the clinical syndromes observed among the cases “According to the press release. In several cases, gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and vomiting “preceded presentation with severe acute hepatitis,” as well as elevated liver enzymes or alanine aminotransaminase levels and Jaundice, were described. The majority of the individuals did not have a fever, according to the WHO, and none of the main viruses that cause acute viral hepatitis, such as hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and E, were found in any of the cases. Hepatitis is an illness that affects the liver, a critical organ that processes nutrients, filters blood, and aids in the fight against diseases. The function of the liver might be harmed when it is inflamed or damaged.
Hepatitis is usually caused by a virus, and adenoviruses are a common type of virus that may cause a variety of moderate to severe ailments when passed from person to person. However, in healthy persons, these viruses are seldom documented as a cause of severe hepatitis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States issued a health advice on Thursday, alerting health care professionals and public health authorities to an investigation into acute instances of hepatitis with unknown origins.
When the aetiology of hepatitis in children is uncertain, the CDC recommends testing for adenovirus, noting that examining the blood as a whole, rather than just blood plasma, may be more sensitive.