CDC Warns Flu Virus This Year May Cause Neurological Injuries in Children

Reports indicate healthy children under five years of age were found to be at an unusually higher risk of developing severe neurological flu symptoms.

A new federal health report warns that 13% of children who died from influenza this flu season suffered from severe neurological complications.

According to findings published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the February 27 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the number of children who died from influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE) was significantly higher this season compared to most previous flu seasons.

Influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE) is a rare but serious complication of the flu, which causes brain dysfunction due to widespread inflammation. It typically occurs when the body’s immune response to the influenza virus triggers excessive inflammation in the brain, leading to swelling, seizures, altered consciousness, and, in severe cases, coma or death. 

Children and individuals with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of developing IAE, and while some may recover with intensive medical care, the condition can result in long-term neurological impairments.

The flu season officially runs from October 2024 through May 2025, and CDC researchers first began receiving reports of critically ill children with IAE in January. In response, they launched an investigation into pediatric flu-related deaths linked to this severe neurological condition.

The CDC’s report is based on data from the Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality Surveillance System, which tracks flu-related deaths among children.

In late February, the agency requested additional case reports of influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE) from the Epidemic Information Exchange (EPI-X), a national disease surveillance network used to identify emerging health threats.

The data reveals that 13% of children who died from influenza this season had IAE, a severe neurological complication of the flu. This marks an increase compared to previous seasons, such as the 2010–2011 flu season, when IAE was reported in approximately 9% of pediatric flu deaths.

Among the reported cases, 4% of children with IAE developed acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE), a more severe and life-threatening form of the condition. ANE presents with the same neurological symptoms as IAE but can rapidly progress to respiratory distress, liver dysfunction, paralysis and severe brain damage.

The report found that 54% of children with IAE had no underlying medical conditions, suggesting that even healthy children can develop severe flu-related complications. Many of the affected children also experienced additional complications such as pneumonia and sepsis, which contributed to the severity of their illness.

Officials indicate that 10% of affected children were between the ages of 2 and 4 years, while about 5% were younger than six months old, highlighting the vulnerability of younger age groups.

While the CDC acknowledged the higher-than-usual number of cases, officials cautioned that they could not determine how much this deviated from expected trends, as there is no active national surveillance system specifically for IAE. This gap in monitoring makes it difficult to assess whether this season represents a true spike in cases or an unrecognized baseline risk.

The CDC is urging healthcare providers to consider IAE as a potential diagnosis in children with influenza who present with abnormal neurological symptoms. Additionally, the agency continues to emphasize the importance of annual flu vaccination for everyone over the age of 6 months while influenza viruses remain in circulation.

To better understand the risks associated with IAE, researchers are calling for enhanced surveillance efforts to identify and report pediatric cases throughout the remainder of the flu season. According to the CDC, improving data collection on IAE will help clarify its incidence, recognize severe outcomes more quickly, and guide future public health strategies.