United States: A rare flu-associated brain inflammation has resulted in a diagnosis of a Minnesota child under two years old, so healthcare providers in the state received alert notifications.
More about the news
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) released a warning because a child under age two received a diagnosis of influenza A-linked acute necrotizing encephalitis (ANE).
The condition leads to brain swelling, although it appears rarely, yet it causes significant fatality rates, according to MDH.
The symptoms typically include high fever together with an impaired state of alertness and seizures, bringmethenews.com reported
The MDH reported an increase in pediatric doctors throughout the country who diagnosed cases of ANE associated with influenza A during a severe seasonal flu wave.
Children suffering from this illness usually fall into the category of healthy and young individuals who skipped their seasonal flu vaccination.
What is the notice suggesting?
The notice by the authority reads, “Seasonal influenza activity remains high, and there is still time to promote [the] vaccine,” bringmethenews.com reported.
Inletugena vaccine approval in Minnesota stands at 24 percentage points for children and 34 percentage points for adults.
The 2024-25 influenza season reported 6,124 hospitalizations for influenza-related illnesses to MDH, according to their most recent statistics.
Since the department implemented its modern tracking system, the reported number of hospitalizations stands at its peak.
For the current season, the number of people who died from influenza reaches 238 and contains one childhood fatality.