The United Kingdom, Spain, Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands… and now France? Asked by L’Express about the mysterious acute pediatric hepatitis identified in various European countries, Public Health France indicates that two cases are under investigation in France. They concern children under the age of 10, who have been reported by the teams of the Center hospitalo-universitaire de Lyon.
Following the first British and Irish notifications, the French health agency analyzed the data from its surveillance systems. In addition, its experts have also launched an active search for cases with various specialized networks, such as the French Society of Hepatology, or the French Society of Pediatrics. It is in this context that the Lyon teams have reported the information concerning the two children cared for in their establishment.
Other reports expected in the coming days
However, Public Health France indicates that it has not identified at this stage “excess cases” in France: “Acute hepatitis of undetermined etiology in children is not rare and the occurrence of these two cases is not not unexpected. Given the active search that has been launched by the health authorities, other reports are likely to be expected in the coming days,” said a spokesperson for the agency. If, abroad, experts – starting with the World Health Organization – are expressing their concern, it is above all because of the unusual number of cases identified over a short period, without obvious cause.
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In the United Kingdom, the first reports date back to April 5: local authorities then reported an excess of cases in children under 10 in Scotland. Since then, the British authorities have identified 74 children affected by this pathology. Many of these young patients showed signs of jaundice, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting in the previous weeks. Some unfortunately had to undergo an emergency liver transplant, but most recovered quickly. No deaths have been recorded.
Preferred hypothesis: a viral infection
In a press release published today, the European Center for Infectious Diseases indicates that the track of a viral infection is favored by British medical teams, given the symptoms presented by the children. However, the virus involved is still unknown. Of the 13 Scots for whom information is available, three were Covid positive, five negative, and two had tested positive in the previous three months. Five of them were positive for the adenovirus, a very common virus in the population, which generally causes no symptoms.
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Across the Channel, the authorities recalled the importance of hygiene measures, and in particular hand washing, “to protect against the viruses potentially involved”.
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