Encephalitis associated with influenza B virus infection in 2 children and a review of the literature

Jason G. Newland, José R. Romero, Meera Varman, Casey Drake, Amy Holst, Tom Safranek, Kanta Subbarao

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

71 Scopus citations

Abstract

Two children with influenza B-associated encephalitis (IBAE) presented to our hospital during the winter of 2000-2001, both of whom had cases notable for mutism in association with encephalitis. A review of the literature identified 13 additional reports consistent with IBAE that contained sufficient data for analysis. Eleven of 15 reported cases occurred in children aged <or=18 years; of these, more than one-half occurred in children <11 years of age. Neurologic symptoms appeared within the first 4 days of illness in 13 cases. Speech abnormalities were observed in 4 patients and consisted of mutism in 3. Although the majority of patients recovered fully, 3 were left with neurologic sequelae, and 1 died. These cases reveal the spectrum of IBAE and its potential for long-term sequelae. Clinicians caring for children should remain vigilant for this rare complication of influenza B virus infection.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)87-95
Number of pages9
JournalClinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
Volume36
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2003

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