Doctors are warning parents of the symptoms to look for in their children as the mystery spike in sudden-onset hepatitis sweeps throughout the world.

Professor Susan Hopkins has outlined the symptoms that parents should be aware of in the wake of a widespread outbreak of sudden-onset hepatitis.

Since the beginning of the year, UK health officials have investigated 108 cases of hepatitis, or liver inflammation, in children aged one to five years old.

According to the UK’s Chief Medical Adviser, there are a number of indications that parents can keep an eye out for.

The doctor said: “The particular symptoms we are looking at it include itchy skin, being off your food and lethargy.

“There are also jaundice symptoms so yellow eyes and yellow skin, as well as dark urine.”

Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, light-colored feces, and joint pain were among the other symptoms.

Dr. Hopkins advised parents to contact their doctor as soon as possible if their child exhibits these symptoms.

When asked what parents can do now, the top medical expert advised: “Perform good hand hygiene.

“If your child goes to the toilet, make sure they wash their hands afterwards because that will reduce the risk of spreading it to others.

“The second is, if your child is unwell with a viral illness, make sure they are hydrated and get fluids into them.”

According to Dr. Hopkins, one method to gauge the rapid spread of hepatitis is the increase in liver transplants in children ages one to five.

The professor told BBC Breakfast: “We have had eight transplants in children aged one to five this year – that is out of sync with what we would normally see.

“That’s usually what we would see in the whole year so we are seeing three to four times as many cases of this very severe liver disease in this age group compared to normal years.”

Predominantly, it’s thought to be the result of an adenovirus infection; these viruses, among others, are responsible for the common cold.

According to Dr. Hopkins, adenovirus has been found in nearly 80% of the infant hepatitis cases currently under research.

She said that the “very common” virus can cause two types of minor illness in children, one of which is an upper respiratory tract infection with symptoms similar to those of Covid.

It can also induce a gastric disease, with symptoms such as diarrhoea and a stomach bug.

The tummy bug strain “is most likely to be implicated in the hepatitis spread,” according to the medical advisor.

The cause of the outbreak might be anything from a virus mutation that makes liver inflammation more likely to the influence of pandemic limitations.

During lockdown, children did not interact with each other. This means they haven’t been exposed to common pathogens and illnesses.

Professor Hopkins ruled out any connection between the increase in instances and the Covid-19 vaccine, noting that none of the children involved had received the vaccine.

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