SEVERAL hepatitis cases among children under the age of 10 have been reported in Northern Ireland as UK-wide cases rise to 108, health officials have confirmed.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it, Public Health Scotland, Public Health Wales and the Northern Ireland Public Health Agency were continuing to investigate the rise in cases of sudden onset hepatitis, liver inflammation, in children since January.
The agency said it is investigating the possible causes behind the spike. But it said there was no link to the Covid-19 vaccine because none of the children affected was known to have received a jab.
Cases of hepatitis, or liver inflammation, have also been recently reported in the Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain and the US.
The UKHSA has previously said higher than usual cases of the illness had been detected among children.
The north's Public Health Agency said the number of confirmed cases here "remains fewer than five".
"The agency is working with HSC (health and social care) partners to raise awareness among healthcare professionals, so that any children who may be affected can be identified early and the appropriate tests carried out," it said in a statement.
The PHA said a cause for the increase in cases is being investigated.
Investigators believe that cases could be linked to the common adenovirus which usually causes mild illnesses including colds, vomiting and diarrhoea.
"There is no link to the Covid-19 vaccine," the PHA said.
The agency said children should be encouraged to wash their hands regularly, carry tissues at all times, cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and to dispose of tissues in a bin.
The UKHSA said a further 34 cases had been identified in the UK, bringing the total to 108.
A total of eight children have received a liver transplant.
Of the total confirmed cases, 79 are in England, 14 in Scotland and the rest in Wales and Northern Ireland, the UKHSA added.
The UKHSA said hepatitis symptoms include:
- dark urine
- pale, grey-coloured poo
- itchy skin
- yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)
- muscle and joint pain
- a high temperature
- feeling and being sick
- feeling unusually tired all the time
- loss of appetite
- tummy pain
Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA, urged parents to be alert to the signs of the illness.
"Normal hygiene measures such as thorough handwashing - including supervising children - and good thorough respiratory hygiene, help to reduce the spread of many common infections, including adenovirus," she said.
"We are also calling on parents and guardians, to be alert to the signs of hepatitis - including jaundice - and to contact a healthcare professional if they are concerned."
