A newly released CDC report reveals that 13% of children who have died of influenza this season had influenza-associated encephalopathy or encephalitis (IAE), a severe neurologic complication.
As of Feb. 8, 2025, IAE was identified in nine of 68 children who had influenza and died. This includes four children who were diagnosed with acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) (MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2025;74[6]:91-95).
All of the ANE deaths occurred in children younger than 5 years of