JERUSALEM, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli Ministry of Health on Wednesday reported 12 cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown etiology in children.
Hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, is a disease of the digestive system and its main symptoms are fatigue, weakness, pain, vomiting and loss of appetite.
The 12 children have been admitted to two hospitals in Jerusalem and the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva.
Spokespersons for the two hospitals told Xinhua that the 12 children's ages range from less than a year to 11 years, and 10 of them previously recovered from coronavirus.
On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a significant increase in severe acute hepatitis in young children in Britain, with an occasional link to COVID-19.
After Britain, about five cases of acute hepatitis were reported in Ireland, and three more in Spain, according to WHO.
Following the WHO announcement, the Israeli ministry instructed all hospitals and health maintenance organizations in the country to report each acute hepatitis case of unknown etiology, leading to the latest statement about the 12 cases.
Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that the health ministry is examining whether the 12 cases are related to post-coronavirus syndrome, mainly the Omicron BA.2 variant. ■
