Co-infection of Hepatitis in COVID 19 Children
- May 17, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
Co-infection of Hepatitis in COVID 19 Children
Subject: Science & Technology
Section: Disease
Context: ‘M.P. study finds hepatitis in COVID-hit children’
Content:
Hepatitis refers to the liver being inflamed and is most commonly caused by medications, viruses, or exposure to certain chemicals.
Once the liver is affected, it loses its ability to clear certain substances from the blood, including a blood product called bilirubin. Without bilirubin, a child can become jaundiced, resulting in a yellowish color in their skin and eyes.
When the liver stops working, all these chemicals start accumulating in the bodies that we usually flush away. The child will start having a yellow color in their skin and the white part of the eyes. Other symptoms include dark urine and stools becoming white
What causes hepatitis in a child?
Hepatitis in children can be caused by many things. Your child can get hepatitis by being exposed to a virus that causes it. These viruses can include:
- Hepatitis viruses. There are 5 main types of the hepatitis virus: A, B, C, D, and E.
Hepatitis A and E are specific to certain villages or regions,
Hepatitis A
This form of the virus is passed through fecal-oral contact. It’s spread to children in the following ways:
- Eating food made by an infected person who didn’t wash their hands well after using the bathroom
- Drinking water that is contaminated by infected feces. This is a problem in developing countries.
- Touching an infected person’s feces or dirty diaper and then putting your hands near your mouth. Outbreaks may happen in child-care centers.
- International travel to areas where hepatitis A is common
- Using illegal drugs
- Blood transfusions (very rare)
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is spread when blood from an infected person enters another person’s body. It can also be spread by sharing personal items such as razors and toothbrushes.
The following children are at risk for hepatitis B:
- Children born to mothers with hepatitis B
- Children born to mothers who have come from a country where hepatitis B is widespread. These include Southeast Asia and China.
- Children who live in long-term care facilities or who are disabled
- Children who live in households where someone is infected with the virus
- Children who have a blood-clotting problem and need blood products. This can include hemophilia.
- Children who need dialysis for kidney failure
- Teens who do high-risk activities. These include IV (intravenous) drug use and unprotected sex.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C passes through infected blood. It can also be passed through sexual contact and during pregnancy from mother to child. The following children are at risk for hepatitis C:
- Children born to mothers who have the virus
- Children who have a blood clotting problem, such as hemophilia
- Children who need dialysis for kidney failure
- Teens who do high-risk activities. These include IV (intravenous) drug use and unprotected sex.
Hepatitis D
This type of hepatitis can only happen with hepatitis B. Hepatitis D can happen at the same time your child is infected with hepatitis B, or it can start later.
- Hepatitis D only happens in people already infected with hepatitis B.
- Hepatitis D is usually from a parent or from a blood transfusion.
Hepatitis E
- This form of hepatitis is like hepatitis A.
- It’s spread through fecal-oral contact.
- Hepatitis E is most common in developing countries.
- Cytomegalovirus. This virus is a part of the herpes virus family.
- Epstein-Barr virus. The virus causes mononucleosis.
- Herpes simplex virus. Herpes can affect the face, the skin above the waist, or the genitals.
- Varicella zoster virus (chickenpox). A complication of this virus is hepatitis. But this happens very rarely in children.
- Enteroviruses. This is a group of viruses often seen in children. They include coxsackieviruses and echoviruses.
- Rubella. This is a mild disease that causes a rash.
- Parvovirus. This virus causes fifth disease. Symptoms include a slapped-cheek rash on the face.
- Adenovirus. This is a group of viruses that causes colds, tonsillitis, and ear infections in children. They can also cause diarrhea.
Adenoviruses are common viral pathogens in childhood; however, they can cause serious disease in an immunocompromised host. Fulminant hepatitis is a rare complication of adenoviral infection.
Co-infection of COVID and adenovirus
On the recent cases of hepatitis, the WHO has said, “laboratory testing has excluded hepatitis type A, B, C, and E viruses (and D where applicable) in these cases while Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and/or adenovirus have been detected in several cases.”
Liver Disease
The liver has many important functions, including digesting your food and processing and distributing nutrients.
There are many kinds of liver diseases and conditions. It occurs either suddenly (acute) or gradually (chronic). Causes include a reaction to medication, high doses of acetaminophen or paracetamol, hepatitis infection, alcohol abuse and advanced fatty liver. Long-lasting injury or scar tissue in the liver can cause cirrhosis. Yellowed skin and eyes (jaundice) along with stomach pain and swelling are symptoms of liver failure.
Treatment options include medication, dietary changes or possibly a liver transplant.