“Cases have been detected in ten countries of the EU and the EEA (European Economic Area, in this case Norway, ed.), but also in the United States and Israel,” ECDC Director Andrea Ammon said at a press conference. in the Swedish capital of Stockholm, without giving more details.
The cause of acute liver disease in children is still unknown. “The investigations are still ongoing,” Ammon said. As a potential culprit, the focus is mainly on an adenovirus. ECDC continues to closely monitor developments together with the World Health Organization (WHO).
No connection has been found with any of the corona vaccines. So far, no other epidemiological risk factor, such as a recent trip abroad, has been identified either.
This hepatitis mainly affects children under the age of ten and manifests itself in symptoms such as jaundice, diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In some cases the patients had to be transferred to a service specializing in liver diseases, so far at least 17 children have undergone a liver transplant because of the mysterious disease. One child has died.
The first case of hepatitis of unknown origin was discovered in Belgium last week.
