This rare flu complication is on the rise in otherwise healthy children
Experts explain the rare flu complication that can impact the brain
- Doctors in the US are warning of a rise in Acute Necrotising Encephalopathy (ANE), a rare and serious brain complication linked to the flu, among otherwise healthy children.
- ANE can cause brain damage and swelling, with 41 cases identified in children over the past two flu seasons, resulting in 11 deaths and significant disability for many survivors.
- This flu season has been the deadliest for children in over two decades, with 266 paediatric flu deaths reported, the highest since 2004 outside of a pandemic.
- Children under the age of five are most vulnerable to severe illness or death from ANE.
- Medical professionals are strongly advocating for flu vaccination, highlighting that 90 per cent of paediatric flu deaths this season were in unvaccinated children, underscoring its protective benefits.