Flu Complication That Causes Severe Brain Disease Is Rising In Kids, Doctors Warn

Severe flu seasons successful caller years person brought to ray a little-known threat of influenza infections successful kids: a uncommon encephalon illness called acute necrotizing encephalopathy, aliases ANE.

It’s a fast-moving information usually triggered by nan flu, causing abrupt encephalon swelling. It’s thought that nan microorganism prompts nan immune strategy to spell haywire.

Affected children tin spell from having mild flu symptoms to seizures, coma, aliases moreover decease wrong days. Most are kids without immoderate different wellness problems.

Historically, nan inflammatory illness is diagnosed successful conscionable a fistful of children each year. But this past January and February, pediatric neurologists began to spot an different uptick successful ANE cases — and started comparing notes.

Dr. Molly Wilson-Murphy, a pediatric neurologist astatine Boston Children’s Hospital said, “We were reaching retired to colleagues crossed nan state and saying, ‘hey, are you seeing this?’ and very briskly getting responses backmost from a number of folks saying, ‘yes, us, too.’”

The collaboration led to nan first large, multi-center look astatine ANE cases successful nan U.S. Wilson-Murphy is 1 of much than 60 physicians who published their information Wednesday successful the Journal of nan American Medical Association.

The doctors identified 41 cases complete nan past 2 flu seasons. Most children were astir property 5.

Brain inflammation was swift and terrible successful galore cases. Eleven children (27%) died wrong 3 days, usually because of a buildup of unit successful their encephalon tissue.

Children who were capable to past for astatine slightest 3 months often had long-lasting complications, specified arsenic problem walking, eating and ongoing seizures.

Because ANE is truthful rare, there’s nary circumstantial curen protocol. Most of nan 41 children successful nan caller study received steroids, antiviral medications, intravenous immunoglobulin aliases a plasma exchange, which is for illustration dialysis.

Reasons for nan summation successful ANE cases are not known. But nan study comes aft nan U.S. has knowledgeable 1 of nan deadliest flu seasons for kids connected record: 266 pediatric flu deaths, according to nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At slightest 3 of those children died successful June and July of this year, acold extracurricular of nan emblematic flu season.

Until now, there’s been nary charismatic tally of ANE cases. The CDC began to way them in February aft proceeding anecdotal reports from nan study authors.

The CDC’s Dr. Timothy Uyeki wrote an editorial accompanying nan caller study.

“From nan nationalist wellness perspective, implementation of multiyear nationalist surveillance” is necessary, Uyeki wrote, to understand really often ANE occurs and whether immoderate children person circumstantial consequence factors.

Why flu shots are important for kids

Study authors emphasized nan value of yearly flu shots for kids. Just six of nan 41 children pinch ANE had been vaccinated.

It’s particularly captious for kids who’ve already had ANE because they’re astatine consequence for getting it again pinch a consequent influenza infection, Wilson-Murphy of Boston Children’s Hospital said.

Fewer kids are getting flu shots successful general.

During nan 2023-2024 season, conscionable complete half of kids, 55%, sewage nan vaccine — nan lowest complaint successful much than a decade.

“It’s imaginable that’s playing a mini domiciled successful this bump successful cases,” said study co-author Dr. Keith Van Haren, a pediatric neurologist astatine Stanford Medicine successful Palo Alto, California. “It doesn’t relationship for each of it, though.”

And among nan 266 children who died of flu this past year, 90% hadn’t been afloat vaccinated, according to nan CDC.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends each children 6 months aliases older get an yearly flu shot, ideally by nan extremity of October.

Young children who’ve ne'er had nan changeable whitethorn request 2 doses, astir a period apart.

ANE informing signs

In early stages, ANE resembles emblematic flu symptoms. Children thin to person precocious fevers — 103 degrees connected mean — arsenic good arsenic a sore throat, cough and vomiting aliases diarrhea.

Within astir 2 days aft symptoms begin, doctors opportunity location is simply a marked quality successful kids’ intelligence status. They whitethorn person seizures and go unusually anemic and tired.

The behaviour is different from nan emblematic lethargy associated pinch flu, Wilson-Murphy said. Affected children don’t perk up, moreover aft ibuprofen aliases acetaminophen. They’re not making consciousness and can’t interact meaningfully.

“You get that ‘mom gut’ emotion that thing isn’t right,” she said. “Parents should perceive to their intuition and get their kids checked retired arsenic soon arsenic they consciousness for illustration thing is off, neurologically.”