Acute hepatitis reported in two Manitoba children

Two children in Manitoba have had acute, severe hepatitis of unknown origin since last fall, the provincial government stated Wednesday.

The cases are still under investigation. Manitoba identified the cases dating back to October 2021, but did not provide details, such as when the most recent case occurred, the ages of the children, or which health regions they live in.

"To protect patient privacy, we are unable to share any details of these cases," a provincial spokesperson stated.

The same cases of acute, severe hepatitis may be reported in more than one province if the patients seek medical treatment in another jurisdiction, the spokesperson noted.

"It remains to be seen whether this number represents an increase in cases of unknown origin compared to similar time periods in previous years or if any of these cases will be confirmed to be caused by a novel clinical entity."

A possible link between COVID-19 infection and the development of hepatitis (liver inflammation) is being studied.

Last month, the United Kingdom began reporting an "unexpected increase" in the number of hepatitis cases among children. As of April 21, at least 169 cases had been detected in 11 countries, the World Health Organization reported, and there are now expected to be hundreds more. The organization reports liver transplants were required in about 10 per cent of cases and that the age of patients ranged from one month to 16 years old.

Those figures don’t include cases of acute, severe hepatitis that have been reported in Canada.

There’s been no official tally of the number of pediatric hepatitis cases in Canada. The Public Health Agency of Canada stated Wednesday it’s still investigating.

"As the investigation evolves, PHAC will provide updates to the public, as new information becomes available."

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca