Severe Acute Hepatitis in Children

ABSTRACT

Viral infections affecting the liver had a serious impact on humanity, as they have led to significant morbidity and mortality in patients with acute and chronic infections. The discovery of the viral agents of severe acute hepatitis in children triggered interest of the scientific community to establish the pathogenesis and diagnostic techniques to identify the affected population. But, WHO, together with scientists in various affected countries, are working to understand the cause of this infection that does not appear to belong to any of the known five types of hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D and E. Many cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children <10 years of age were reported by the International Health Regulations (IHR) was mainly by adenovirus infection, HAdV-41. Although most acute infections cause mild disease and even go undetected, some can lead to complications and turn fatal. With the rapid scientific and technological advances in the last centuries, controlling and even curing the infections became a possibility, with a large focus on preventive medicine through vaccination. The review article describes the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnostic tools and current medication regimens for severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children.Copyright © 2022, Global Research Online. All rights reserved.