Hepatitis cases in children linked to adeno-associated virus AAV2

Recent acute hepatitis cases of unknown origin in children have now been linked to the virus AAV2 in two new UK studies, with no evidence of a direct link to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Submitted to MedRxiv as pre-prints, both studies found that the common virus AAV2 (adeno-associated virus 2) was present at high levels in all samples from patients with unexplained hepatitis. The virus, which is not known to normally cause disease and often accompanies infection with adenoviruses, has now been found by scientists to be associated with the development of acute hepatitis in a small number of young children. The two studies were led independently and simultaneously. One, examining cases from Scotland by the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR) and the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, in partnership with Public Health Scotland and ISARIC (International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infections Consortium) WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK (CCP-UK); and a second studying cases from across all four UK nations at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (UCL GOS ICH), in partnership with the UK Health Security Agency. Since April 2022, a number of young children worldwide have developed jaundice and acute severe hepatitis of unknown origin. Currently the World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported at least 1010 probable cases in 35 countries.