“Compared to the new acute hepatitis” with mysterious origins reported in children, the virologist of the University of Milan Fabrizio Pregliasco “certainly” excludes the idea of a link with the anti-Covid vaccine. Instead, explains the expert to Adnkronos Salute, “I agree with the hypothesis that”, thanks to the social isolation imposed by the restrictions adopted to contain the pandemic, “there may have been a lowering of the defenses, with a greater share of adenovirus infections that were previously more diluted. A bit like last November with the respiratory syncytial virus epidemic “in the little ones. But could Sars-CoV-2 also play a role? “It is possible, as a previous co-infection or infection”, reasons Pregliasco, while international specialists are working to understand the causes of these serious forms. To call into question the social isolation was an article published in ‘Eurosurveillance’ and bounced on the British media. “An infectious etiology is considered more probable – explain the authors – given the epidemiological and clinical characteristics” of the observed forms. “At the time of publication, the main hypotheses focus on adenovirus, or on a new variant” of this pathogen, “with a distinct clinical syndrome” from those traditionally known, “or on a variant that circulates regularly and has a greater impact. severe on immunologically naïve younger children “, whereas” adenovirus infection as a cause of severe hepatitis is rare in immunocompetent children “. “This last scenario – we read – could be the result of a restricted social ‘mixing’ during the Covid-19 pandemic”. Then there are “other infectious causes still under study”, which “include increased disease severity following Omicron 2 infection, or infection with a variant of Sars-CoV-2 not yet characterized” . The petitioners specify that “none of the children” affected by the new hepatitis until then “had been vaccinated against Covid-19”. Finally, “even a new or not yet detected virus can be ruled out for now”.