Potential dog link to surge in hepatitis infection in the UK being investigated by health chiefs

Health experts are investigating a potential link between dog ownership and a surge in hepatitis infection in the UK. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that the total number of confirmed cases of sudden onset hepatitis in children has now reached 163 across the UK.This figure is a rise of 18 in the week between April 29 and May 3, the UKHSA said in an update on Friday.It is said that 11 of the 163 children have received a liver transplant.

There have been no deaths recorded from the condition, which is inflammation of the liver. Public Health Scotland (PHS) said that 22 cases of hepatitis have been identified in children in Scotland since January.

The origins of this recent spike are being investigated - including previous Covid infection. There is no evidence of any link to the Covid vaccine, as the majority of cases are under five years old - meaning that they are too young to have received the jab.

A questionnaire of families across the UK found ‘relatively high numbers of dog owning families or other dog exposures’, with 64 out of 92 cases where data was available talking about dog exposure.Did you know you can keep up to date with the latest news by signing up to our daily newsletter?We send a morning and lunchtime newsletter covering the latest headlines every day.We also send coronavirus updates at 5pm on weekdays, and a round up of the week's must-read stories on Sunday afternoons.Signing up is simple, easy and free.You can pop your email address into the sign up box above, hit Subscribe and we'll do the rest.Alternatively, you can sign up and check out the rest of our newsletters here.“The significance of this finding is being explored”, the UKHSA said but added that “pet dog ownership is common in the