34 more cases of hepatitis have been confirmed in the UK, as health chiefs fear they may not learn why for months

Another 34 British children have been affected by an unusual form of hepatitis that has swept the world.

Health chiefs are now investigating 145 cases of liver inflammation in youth, the cause of which remains a mystery.

Of these cases, 108 are in England, 17 in Scotland, 11 in Wales and nine in Northern Ireland.

Ten young people requested liver transplants, but no deaths have been reported in the UK.

In no case did the normal viruses that cause hepatitis test positive, which confused scientists about the origin of the disease.

Leading experts fear that for months, health leaders may not understand what lies behind the bizarre pattern that has sickened 200 children worldwide since March.

A child has died in the world. Another victim in the United States is under investigation.

Professor Alastair Sutcliffe, a leading pediatrician at University College London, told MailOnline that health chiefs may not know why until the end of summer.

It is thought to be a common virus that causes the common cold, normally known as adenovirus.

But there are a number of theories as to why the normally harmless virus causes critical illness in previously healthy young children.

Britain’s Health Safety Agency said today its findings still suggest that adenovirus may be the cause of sudden-onset hepatitis cases.

The UKHSA said most of the cases were under the age of five, but “a small number” of children over the age of 10 were also being studied.

Affected children initially suffered from diarrhea and nausea, followed by jaundice – yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes.

But UKHSA said it’s not typical to see this pattern of symptoms in adenovirus, so it’s still investigating other causes, including Covid itself.

He also noted that the blockages may have weakened the immunity of the children and made them more susceptible to the virus, or it could be a mutated version of the adenovirus.

The agency is working with scientists and doctors around the country to “answer these questions as quickly as possible.”

Experts are also investigating whether a new coronavirus variant is responsible for this, or whether there was a previous or concurrent Covid infection.

Dr. Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA, said parents may be worried, but the chances of their child developing hepatitis are “extremely low”.

“However, we continue to remind parents to watch out for signs of hepatitis — particularly jaundice, which is more easily recognized as jaundice — and to talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.” ‘, said.

Dr. Chand added: “Normal hygiene measures, including thorough hand washing and ensuring that children wash their hands properly, help reduce the spread of common infections.

“As always, children with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea should stay home and not return to school or daycare until 48 hours after symptoms have resolved.”

Hepatitis in children is generally rare, but experts have noticed more cases in the UK since January than they would normally expect in a year.

The cases are “of unknown origin” and also serious, according to the World Health Organization.

There are 27 suspected and confirmed cases in the United States, seven of which were announced yesterday in California. The death of a child in Wisconsin is being investigated by authorities.

Scientists have previously suggested that cases may be the ‘tip of the iceberg’ out there, more likely than has been reported so far.

But Professor Sutcliffe said: “With modern methods, computer science, advanced computers, real-time PCR and whole genome scanning, I think with reasonable confidence it will take three months to find the cause.”

Professor Sutcliffe said discovery of the cause could be delayed by bureaucracy across international borders due to difficulties in transporting biomaterials between countries.

He said laws in the UK regulating parental consent, data protection and the use of human tissues could delay the research.

Investigating an unknown cause is particularly difficult because cases may have multiple factors that are not consistent for all diseases.

Professor Deirdre Kelly, a pediatric hepatologist at the University of Birmingham, also told MailOnline that it would take months to find a cause.

He said: ‘[These are] complex research that takes time.

UK health officials have ruled out the Covid vaccine as a possible cause, and none of the sick children in the UK have been vaccinated due to their young age.

Experts say Covid blockades may be behind mysterious cases of childhood hepatitis as they reduce social mixing and weaken their immunity.

Liver experts described the cases as “worrying” but said parents should not worry about the disease affecting their children.

An official from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the disease is “quite rare” but rated the risk for children as “high” because of its potential impact.

The risk to children in Europe cannot be accurately assessed as evidence of human transmission is uncertain and cases in the European Union are “sporadic with an uncertain trend”, he said.

But given the unknown causes of the disease and the potential seriousness of the disease it causes, the ECDC said the outbreak “is posing a public health concern”.

An increase in hepatitis cases was first noted in Scotland on 31 March, and a child was hospitalized in January for the condition.

The Scottish case dates back to January.

According to the World Health Organization, at least one child has died from the mysterious disease so far.

Wisconsin is the only US state to report suspected hepatitis infant deaths. If approved, it will be the second in the world.

State officials confirmed to DailyMail.com that the boy contracted the disease after contracting adenovirus.

Most infected children were under the age of 10, and most were under the age of five. None of them had any other underlying health problem.

The agency recommended improving surveillance and hygiene practices to stop the spread of cases.