Canadian health officials say they are investigating reports of severe mysterious hepatitis cases in children, as doctors around the world closely monitor the increasing number of these cases.

There are no confirmed cases in Canada, but the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) told CTV News that it is "aware of reports of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in young children in Canada."

According to the World Health Organization, as of April 21, at least 169 children from 12 countries have been affected by the disease. They include the United Kingdom, Spain, Israel, the United States, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway, and France.
Currently, doctors know of 114 cases in the United Kingdom, which Dr. Deirdre Kelly, Professor of Pediatric Hepatology at the University of Birmingham, said are very unusual.

Kelly told CTV News, "Acute hepatitis with no known cause, we rarely see more than 20, 25 at most in a whole year. And we have seen 114 in the first 3 to 4 months of this year; these are normal children without underlying diseases, no other injuries, and they are developing acute hepatitis that required liver transplantation in 10 percent of cases."

Kelly said the important thing for parents to know is that the majority of children recover spontaneously.

He added: "While this is a serious disease if a child contracts it, they are likely to recover on their own." If their children show symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, monitor them closely. If they start, in any way, to turn yellow, or their eyes or skin become yellow, they should seek medical advice immediately."

Also, the daily safety measures adopted by many parents and families during the pandemic will also help keep children safe.

At the end of his statement, he said: Good hand hygiene, as we all got used to during the COVID pandemic, is very important, and good general hygiene at home should be sufficient."