Study documents mysterious cluster of rare brain infections in children – @theU

You can find U of U Health’s original post here.

In March 2022, Dr. Taryn Bragg, a pediatric neurosurgeon practicing at University of Utah Health in Las Vegas, noticed an unusual trend. A large number of children are admitted to emergency rooms with severe neurological symptoms. Imaging studies show that brain abscesses are severe enough to require immediate life-saving surgery, with many requiring multiple surgeries and hospitalizations lasting six to eight weeks.

Typically, Prague sees one or two cases of brain infection each year. However, it seems that after one child is treated, another soon follows. Her keen observations alerted others to a dangerous national trend.

“It was clear to me that something serious was going on,” Bragg said. “The number of children who are becoming infected is deeply disturbing. “I am making a sincere effort to inform my community about the situation. “

Bragg reported the findings to the Southern Nevada Health District and worked with epidemiologists to identify potential risk factors for the infection to arise.this Southern Nevada Health District announces these cases The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report states that the number of children with severe brain infections will increase to 18 by 2022. This marks a 10-fold increase in the number of cases per quarter compared to pre-pandemic levels (2015-2019) and three times the number observed in the previous two years (2020-2021).

The study prompted the CDC to reopen an investigation, confirming Rising infection rates a national trend And it’s not isolated to southern Nevada. The CDC study included 37 hospitals in 19 states and the District of Columbia that reported higher-than-expected numbers of pediatric intracranial infections from August 2021 through at least March 2023, with a spike in the winter of 2022-23.

Bragg was one of the first in the Southwest to draw attention to this worrying pattern. She consulted other health care providers in the area, who confirmed similar observations and notified the CDC.

“My efforts in community education emphasize that even as individual physicians we can make a huge difference in our local communities and beyond,” she said.

Bragg noted that the children arriving at the hospital were in serious condition, with some experiencing high fevers, altered mental status or seizures. Despite extensive medical intervention, all of them have fully recovered or are on the road to recovery. Some people need two or three surgeries to eradicate the infection and stay in the hospital for several weeks before they can be stabilized and go home.

While the exact cause of the surge in infections is unknown, research has uncovered some clues. In Nevada, infections began to surge shortly after the state lifted its COVID-19 mask mandate. This change in public health measures may have facilitated the spread of respiratory or sinus infections.

Both reports support this hypothesis, showing that it is not uncommon for children to show signs of a cold or sinusitis before being hospitalized. Taken together, children’s immune systems may be weakened after months of wearing masks and other infectious disease prevention measures, although further research is needed to confirm this theory.

Bragg stressed that these infections are extremely rare. However, due to its seriousness, health care providers should remain vigilant. She noted that the number of cases appears to be decreasing, but this incident shows that even common viruses or bacteria can cause less common illnesses in some cases.

“This is a powerful reminder that as physicians, we are more than just health care providers,” Bragg said. “We are advocates for our patients and their well-being. “When we observe trends in healthcare, we have a responsibility to speak out, even while working in traditional non-academic settings. “