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Londra Gazete, 28 July 2022 LondraGazete.com/English 9

Likely cause of mystery child

hepatitis outbreak found

UK experts believe they have
identified the cause of the recent
spate of mysterious liver prob-
lems affecting young children
around the world.
Investigations suggest two
common viruses made a come-
back after pandemic lockdowns
ended - and triggered the rare but
Air pollution 'is causing dementia' very serious hepatitis cases.
More than 1,000 children -
many under the age of five - in
AIR pollution is fuelling a rise in there is not enough evidence yet to
dementia, the UK Government has say how many dementia cases are 35 countries are thought to have
acknowledged for the first time. the result of air pollution. been affected.
Toxic airborne particles from cars Some studies have suggested up Some, including 12 in the UK,
and fossil fuels have long been asso- to a fifth of patients with the dis- have needed a lifesaving liver
ciated with rapidly increasing rates ease are linked to exposure to toxic transplant.
of the disease in the UK and the de- pollutants. The two teams of researchers, One of the investigators, Prof are now becoming fewer but are
veloped world. The 290-page report was car- from London and Glasgow, say Judith Breuer, an expert in viro- still on alert for new ones.
Now, a major independent review ried out by the Committee on the infants exposed later than nor- logy, at University College Lon- Prof Emma Thomson, who led
has confirmed the link after analys- Medical Effects of Air Pollutants mal - because of Covid restricti- don and Great Ormond Street the University of Glasgow rese-
ing dozens of human studies. (COMEAP), led by Imperial College ons - missed out on some early Hospital, said: "During the lock- arch, said there were still many
The researchers concluded it was London's Professor Frank Kelly. immunity to: adenovirus, which down period when children were unanswered questions. "Larger
'likely that air pollution can contrib- Researchers looked at 70 human normally causes colds and stoma- not mixing, they were not trans- studies are urgently needed to in-
ute to a decline in mental ability and studies, which included popula- ch upsets and adeno-associated mitting viruses to each other. vestigate the role of AAV2 in pae-
dementia in older people'. tion-based research, taken from the virus two, which normally causes "They were not building up im- diatric hepatitis cases.
They believe the primary way this general public, and experiments in a no illness and requires a coinfec- munity to the common infections "We also need to understand
happens is by tiny toxic particles laboratory. ting "helper" virus - such as ade- they would normally encounter. more about seasonal circulation
seeping into the bloodstream after They concluded: 'We think there novirus - to replicate "When the restrictions were lif- of AAV2, a virus that is not routi-
being breathed into the lungs. is a strong case for the effects of That could explain why some ted, children began to mix, viru- nely monitored - it may be that a
The pollutants then irritate blood air pollutants on the cardiovascular developed the unusual and worr- ses began to circulate freely - and peak of adenovirus infection has
vessels and disrupt circulation to system having a secondary effect on ying liver complications. they suddenly were exposed with coincided with a peak in AAV2
the brain. Over time, this can lead the brain. Scientists have ruled out any this lack of prior immunity to a exposure, leading to an unusual
to vascular dementia. '...we think it likely that such ef- connection with coronavirus or whole battery of new infections." manifestation of hepatitis in sus-
It is also likely that in rare cases fects have an effect on the blood Covid vaccines. Experts are hopeful that cases ceptible young children."
very small air pollution particles supply to the brain. That such an
can pass the blood-brain barrier and effect might well lead to damage to
damage neurons directly. the brain seems, to us, likely. `
important mechanism at the level tion between exposure to air pollut- Doctors warn ‘dangerous’ laughing
'We therefore regard the associa-
But this does not seem to be an
of air pollution currently in the UK, ants and effects on cognitive decline
the report found. and dementia as likely to be causal gas is becoming an ‘epidemic’
While a link has been established, with respect to this mechanism.'
DOCTORS in the UK have called “whippets.” enquired about for the first
warned over an “epidemic” of Calls to the National Po- time.
Patients to access test results and patients admitted to hospital isons Information Service However, this is merely
GP records on the NHS app from laughing gas abuse amid have increased by 257 per the “tip of the iceberg” said
a 257 per cent rise in serious cent in 2021-22, according to Dr Mark Pucci, a toxicologist
poisonings. data due to be published later from Birmingham, as the
PATIENTS will be able to ac- cancer test results, GPs will be Specialist neurologists and this year, based on data seen NPIS only records cases whe-
cess test results and other infor- able to customise how and when toxicologists speaking with by The Independent. re acute poisoning are flag-
mation via the NHS app from No- their records are shared. The Independent warned Data published by the NPIS ged.
vember in a move that will free up Professor Sir Stephen Powis, of they are seeing young people in September 2021 showed Nitrous oxide cansiters, cal-
GP surgery phone lines. NHS England, said: ‘Improving admitted through emergency a 3600 per cent increase to led laughing gas or whippets,
NHS England will switch on au- patient access to health infor- departments every two we- 37 people, in 2020-21, and can be legally obtained and
tomatic access to GP records on mation on the NHS App will put eks now due to the impacts of its report said the substance according to research noti-
November 1 following a year-long patients in the driving seat when nitrous oxide canisters, also was among the top 10 drugs fications of acute poisoning
delay due to ‘safeguarding’ con- it comes to managing their own increased from three in 2011
cerns. health.’ to 32 in 2020.
For patients accessing more He added it would help free up In September 2021 home
sensitive information, such as
GP phone lines for urgent calls. secretary Priti Patel asked the
The November date was con- government’s independent
firmed in a letter to GPs last Advisory Council on the Mi-
week. It said practices can ‘con- suse of Drugs (ACMD) to re-
sider increasing the number of view the harm caused by nit-
patients who have online access rous oxide after half a million
and/or enhance their level of ac- young people reported taking
cess gradually over the coming it in 2019-20.
months’.