South Korea has reported its first suspected case of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in a child.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters said on Tuesday that the first suspected case was reported on May 1 under its monitoring system for acute hepatitis among children launched this month.

The novel disease causes stomach pain, diarrhea and vomiting which later leads to severe acute hepatitis and a dramatic spike in liver enzyme levels, mostly in people under the age of 16.

First reported in the UK last month, it has spread to 19 countries, mostly in Europe, infecting nearly 240 people as of last Wednesday. Four people have died from the disease so far, three of whom were in Indonesia.

The first suspected patient tested positive for both COVID-19 and the adenovirus that causes respiratory illnesses among children, but health authorities said the possibility of a link between the disease and COVID-19 or its vaccines appears low.

The World Health Organization is studying the exact origin of the acute hepatitis, as adenovirus alone cannot explain the severity of the disease.

Source: KBS World Radio