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A recent spike in cases of rare brain infections in children has puzzled doctors with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to CNN, doctors gave a presentation about the issue during the Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference. Dr. Taryn Bragg, an associate professor at the University of Utah, said that the number of brain abscesses in kids tripled in Nevada in 2022. While the state usually treats an average of four to five cases a year, there were 18 children with brain abscesses last year.
"In my 20 years' experience, I've never seen anything like it," Dr. Bragg said. "After March of 2022, there was just a huge increase," she added. "I was seeing large numbers of cases, and that's unusual."
Other doctors across the country said they have noticed similar trends at their hospitals.
"It's not just us. It's hospitals all over the country," said Dr. Shaun Rodgers, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Cohen Children's Medical Center — part of Northwell Health in New York. "When we're talking to colleagues, it seems like everyone is feeling that we've definitely had an uptick in these types of infections."
Doctors are not required to report brain abscesses to public health agencies, so calculating the total number of cases is nearly impossible.
In many cases, the symptoms of a brain abscess are relatively common for children and include an earache, sinus infection, headaches, and fever. However, if those symptoms last for more than a week, doctors may recommend a brain scan to check for an abscess. If left untreated, the abscess can cause permanent brain damage or death.
They can be treated with antibiotics but usually require multiple surgeries.