There has been a upsurge in brain abscess cases in children in the United States , beginning in mid-2021 and top out last wintertime , according to two late Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) reports . While cases have remained rarefied , there has been solid magnetic declination since the onrush of theCOVID-19pandemic , include a rise follow the easing of restrictions .
In December 2022 , there were 102 suit nationwide , importantly high than the pre - pandemic baseline utmost of 61 cases a calendar month . Since then , subject tally have dropped but continue above this baseline maximum as of March 2023 .
encephalon abscess – also called intracranial abscesses – are pus - filled puffiness in the brain , usually because of bacteria or fungi that enter the mentality after an transmission or brain injury . They can cause brain damage and are sometimes fatal if untreated , although they are gratefully uncommon .
When they do occur , they unremarkably observe respiratory infections , such as COVID-19 , sinusitis , or flu .
According toone of the CDC report , lead by Dr Emma Accorsi , the winter 2022–2023 peak of pediatric intracranial contagion coincided with spikes in respiratory computer virus circulation .
The report , which include hospital care data from 37 hospitals in 19 res publica and the District of Columbia , found that the baseline median number of cases pre - pandemic ( 2016–2019 ) was 34 , while the service line maximum was 61 .
After the attack of the pandemic , the monthly case count dropped ab initio , before increasing from August 2021 and peaking in December 2022 with 102 cases .
“ Recent style might be driven by concurrent , rise paediatric respiratory pathogen transmission , ” the report ’s authors write , attempting to explain their finding .
Indeed , following the easing of pandemic restrictions in 2022 , there was a world-wide rise in respiratory viruses , includingRSVand flu .
In the secondCDC report , a team go by Dr Jessica Penney look at intracranial abscess eccentric in just one body politic : Nevada . Pre - COVID ( 2015–2019 ) , there was a median caseful telephone number of 0.5 per quarter . Between 2020 and 2021 , this rose to 1.5 , and in 2022 , a aggregate of 18 case were reported , a median value of five per quarter , all of which occurred after February 2022 , when masquerade mandate were raise in the state .
“ Although this investigation did not identify unexpected risk factors for intracranial abscess , the substantive increment in case after the mask authorization in Nevada was lifted might be partly attributable to change in respiratory pathogen transmittal , ” the author write .
The CDC will go on to supervise the situation and recommends that “ all persons aged ≤18 years should be up to date with recommended vaccinations , include grippe and COVID-19 . ”
The capacity of this clause is not mean to be a reserve for professional medical advice , diagnosing , or treatment . Always seek the advice of qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding medical conditions .
