The state of Rio de Janeiro is investigating six suspected cases of severe acute hepatitis in children, one of which is the death of an eight-month-old baby.
The advance of the disease, whose cause is still unknown, led the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue an international alert on April 15, after the identification of several cases in the United Kingdom.
In Brazil, another three are investigated, according to the Ministry of Health, all of them in Paraná.
In Rio de Janeiro, the case of an eight-month-old baby, with suspected severe acute hepatitis, was registered in Maricá, in the metropolitan region.
There are still three cases in the capital of Rio de Janeiro, of eight and four-year-old children, in addition to a two-month-old baby. The disease may have infected a two-year-old child in Araruama and another three-year-old in Niterói.
According to the World Health Organization, acute hepatitis is inflammation of the liver that occurs quickly and abruptly.
The disease can manifest with diarrhea, vomiting, fever, muscle aches and jaundice (yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes).
It is important for parents and guardians to be aware of children’s symptoms. If there is any suspicion, they should be taken immediately to a health facility so that they can be diagnosed and treated.
Alexandre Chieppe, Secretary of Health of Rio de Janeiro
The folder issued an alert to the 92 municipalities in the state and highlighted that suspicions need to be reported and monitored.
According to the agency, on April 24, the warning about the disease had come from the Ministry of Health, with the need for attention from services for children with elevated transaminases (intracellular enzymes) and gastrointestinal symptoms.
“We are following the evolution of the disease in the world and monitoring with municipal surveillance the records of suspected cases in the state. The alert is precisely so that these patients can be followed up and monitored correctly,” said Chieppe.
Nationally, the Ministry of Health announced that the Centers for Strategic Information on Health Surveillance (CIEVS) monitor the detection of possible cases of the disease together with the National Hospital Surveillance Network (RENAVEH). The folder also directs them to be notified immediately.
world alert
The World Health Organization clarifies that cases of acute hepatitis in children are under investigation and, so far, laboratory tests rule out known causes.
The main suspicion is that the infection has as its source the adenovirus – a common virus, responsible for respiratory symptoms, vomiting and diarrhea.
According to the WHO, as of May 3, more than 200 cases of the disease have been recorded in 20 countries, most of them in the United Kingdom, the first country to report the problem.
This Friday (6), the Health Safety Agency of the United Kingdom published a new report and pointed out that investigations continue to suggest an association with the adenovirus, more frequently detected in the samples tested.
However, the agency points out that it is investigating other factors, such as a previous infection with the coronavirus, which can make the child more susceptible.
The WHO guides that the prevention of the disease depends on basic hygiene measures, such as washing your hands and covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
Source: CNN Brasil
