Ministry of Health directs testing of suspected cases of hepatitis of unknown cause in children

On May 9, the Ministry of Health issued Official Letter No. 2329/BYT-DP to the Department of Health of the provinces and centrally-run cities on strengthening surveillance of acute hepatitis cases of unknown cause.

As of May 3, the world recorded 228 cases of acute hepatitis of unknown cause in 20 countries in Europe, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, of which 4 died. . The disease occurs in children from 1 month to 16 years old, most patients recover completely, however, there are some severe cases, nearly 10% of cases require liver transplantation.

The cases identified as acute hepatitis above presented with abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and markedly elevated liver enzymes. Most of the reported cases were without fever and were not found to be infected with common viruses that cause acute viral hepatitis (such as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E viruses). The World Health Organization and the European Centers for Disease Prevention and Control say the exact cause of hepatitis in these children is unknown and investigations are ongoing. However, cases have occurred in areas where the adenovirus is high.

To actively monitor cases of acute hepatitis of unknown cause in Vietnam and promptly implement measures to prevent and minimize the number of cases and deaths; The Ministry of Health requested the Director of the Department of Health to focus on directing to increase testing of suspected cases of acute hepatitis of unknown cause at medical facilities to determine the cause. If abnormal cases are detected, the cause is unknown, please report immediately to the Ministry of Health (Department of Preventive Medicine) for timely monitoring and direction.