Task Force for a rapid response to an outbreak of severe acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology in children in Portugal in 2022

• Published in: Euro surveillance : bulletin européen sur les maladies transmissibles Vol. 28; no. 38; p. 1
• Main Authors: Grau-Pujol, Berta, Vieira Martins, João, Goncalves, Isabel, Rodrigues, Fernanda, de Sousa, Rita, Oliveira, Dina, Bettencourt, Joana, Mendes, Diana, Mateus de Cunha, Inês, Pocinho, Sara, Firme, Ana, dos Santos, Benvinda Estela, Peralta Santos, André, Albuquerque, Maria João, Pinto-Leite, Pedro, Tato Marinho, Rui, Vasconcelos, Paula
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Saint-Maurice Centre Europeen pour la Surveillance Epidemiologique du SIDA (European Centre for the Epidemiological Monitoring of AIDS) 21.09.2023; European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
• Subjects: Childrens health; Disease control; Emergency preparedness; Epidemics; Etiology; Health surveillance; Hepatitis; Pediatrics; Portugal
• ISSN: 1560-7917; 1025-496X; 1560-7917
• DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.38.2300171

On 5 April 2022, the United Kingdom reported an increase of cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology in children, several needing hospitalisation and some required liver transplant or died. Thereafter, 35 countries reported probable cases, almost half of them in Europe. Facing the alert, on 28 April, Portugal created a multidisciplinary Task Force (TF) for rapid detection of probable cases and response. The experts of the TF came from various disciplines: clinicians, laboratory experts, epidemiologists, public health experts and national and international communication. Moreover, Portugal adopted the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) case definition and recommendations. By 31 December 2022, 28 probable cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology were reported: 16 male and 17 aged under 2 years. Of these cases, 23 were hospitalised but none required liver transplant or died. Adenovirus was detected from nine of 26 tested cases. No association was observed between adenovirus infection and hospital admission after adjusting for age, sex and region in a binomial regression model. The TF in Portugal may have contributed to increase awareness among clinicians, enabling early detection and prompt management of the outbreak.