Spain has reported its first two deaths from acute hepatitis, or liver inflammation, among children.
Spain’s Health Ministry said that 46 cases of the illness have been reported in Spain and that three required liver transplants. Of the three transplant patients, two died — a 15-month-old baby in June and a 6-year-old in July.
“The Ministry of Health has notified this Thursday the first two deaths in Spain from hepatitis of unknown origin in children, after not having been able to overcome the liver transplant to which they had undergone. They are a six-year-old boy from Murcia and a 15-month-old baby from Andalusia. According to the Health report, among the 46 cases detected in Spain, three transplants have had to be carried out. The third is that of a three-year-old girl living in Aragón, who has a good clinical evolution.”
This study provides insights into the characteristics of children with hepatitis of unknown aetiology, including significant differences between cases in the UK and those in other countries, which warrant further investigation.
The recent increase in unexplained acute hepatitis in children in 2022 has focused attention on acute paediatric liver disease. We discuss emerging evidence and leading causal hypotheses in context with potential long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for young children.
