Rabat – Health officials in Morocco have confirmed that no cases of severe acute hepatitis in children were recorded in the country.
Mouad Mrabet, coordinator of the National Center for Public Health Emergency Operations announced the update on Wednesday.
“As of 04/05/2022 (11:23 p.m.), no case of acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology in children (probably Adenovirus) has been recorded in Morocco,” Mrabet wrote on LinkedIn.
Mrabet’s statement echoed the Ministry of Health’s press release issued on April 22 on the absence of acute hepatitis cases in children in Morocco. The ministry also said that it is monitoring the situation in Europe.
On April 15, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an alert on “severe acute hepatitis cases of unknown origin in children in the United Kingdom.”
Currently, roughly 200 probable cases have been detected in 20 countries in Europe, the Americas, Western Pacific, and Southeast Asia. The majority of cases are in the United Kingdom, noted the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
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PAHO said on Wednesday that “there is still little data to define whether there is an outbreak, and for now the global risk is considered low.”
Currently, the hypothesis linking the current situation with the adenovirus is considered the most likely. Adenovirus is a group of common viruses that transmit from person to person. It causes respiratory symptoms, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain in children. Most infected children do not have a fever, PAHO added.
A team of researchers in the United Kingdom has associated the current situation with the increasing vulnerability of young children to adenovirus, particularly due to the virus’ low level of circulation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such hypotheses are yet to be confirmed.
More information on the recent acute severe hepatitis in children is expected to be released. Until then, PAHO has urged parents of young children to encourage good hand washing and respiratory hygiene to reduce the spread.
