ETIDIOH - NEW

  Summary -- What is already known about this topic? -  Influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE) is a rare, severe neurologic complication of influenza. -- What is added by this report? - During the high-severity 2024–25 influenza season, 109 U.S. pediatric IAE cases were identified; 55% of affected children were previously healthy . Thirty-seven IAE cases were subcategorized as acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE), a severe form of IAE characterized by rapid neurologic decline and a poor prognosis . Overall, 74% of IAE patients were admitted to an intensive care unit , and 19% died ; 41% of ANE patients died. Only 16% of vaccine-eligible IAE patients had received the 2024–25 influenza vaccine. -- What are the implications for public health practice? - All children are at risk for severe neurologic complications of influenza . Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all children aged ≥6 months to prevent influenza and associated complications, potentially including ...

  Abstract Influenza A virus (IAV) infection is associated with a wide variety of neurological complications , of which mild complications like impaired cognitive functioning are most prominent . Even though several studies have shown that many influenza viruses can enter the CNS, the neuropathogenesis of seasonal ( H3N2 and H1N1 ) and pandemic (pH1N1 2009) IAV infections is poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the cellular tropism, replication efficiency and associated functional consequences using a human stem cell-derived neural co-culture model of neurons and astrocytes . All viruses were able to infect neurons in the co-culture model, although this infection did not result in efficient replication and release of progeny virus. In addition, infection did not result in visible cell death or apoptosis. However, functional analyses revealed that IAV inoculation resulted in a reduction of spontaneous neural activity and a partial reduction of neural excitability. T...

  ABSTRACT The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionately affected individuals with pre-existing medical conditions , such as neurocognitive disorders. Premorbid neurocognitive conditions compounded by COVID-19 can escalate into COVID-associated neurological complications , leading to severe illness or even death. As COVID-19 continues to persist and vaccines lose efficacy against emerging variants , individuals with neurocognitive disorders often experience prolonged symptoms that are further exacerbated by repeated breakthrough infections of highly diversified viral variants due to emergence of new viral mutations. Despite the significance of neurocognitive disorders as risk factors for COVID-19-related mortality and long COVID, the underlying causes remain largely unknown. In this study, we report a link between ORF3a expression and COVID-associated neuroinflammation and neurocytotoxicity in postmortem brain tissues from COVID-19 patients. These findings...

Abstract The global burden of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an immune-mediated neuropathy, remains poorly characterized during the COVID-19 pandemic . We analyzed age-standardized years lived with disability (YLD) for GBS from 1990 to 2021 using GBD 2021 data and COVID-19 vaccination coverage from Our World in Data, focusing on 2020–2021. During the pandemic, GBS YLD rates rose dramatically , with greater increases seen in low-SDI regions, females and individuals aged 15–29 years. Higher vaccination coverage was inversely associated with GBS disability burden , exhibiting a non-linear protective effect at moderate to high coverage levels. Causal mediation analysis indicated that 44.6% of this association was mediated by reductions in COVID-19 incidence, highlighting both direct and indirect neuroprotective benefits of vaccination programs . These results underscore the importance of sustaining and expanding the vaccine rollout to mitigate the secondary neurological burden associated w...

Abstract Central nervous system (CNS) infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 are uncommon. This case report describes the clinical progression of a 92-year-old female who developed a persistent neuroinfection associated with SARS-CoV-2. The patient initially presented with progressive fatigue , catarrhal symptoms , and a fever (38.6 °C). Initial laboratory findings revealed hypoxemia (O2 saturation 79.8%), acidosis (pH 7.3), an elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) level of 14.8 mg/L, and a high D-dimer level (2.15 µg/mL). Nasopharyngeal (NP) antigen and RT-PCR tests confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, and an NP swab also detected penicillin- and ampicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus . She was admitted for conservative management , including oxygen supplementation , IV fluids, and prophylactic anticoagulation. Subsequently, she developed neurological symptoms — lethargy, discoordination, and impaired communication —without signs of meningism . Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis identified SARS-C...