tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Emerg Infect Dis
. 2026 Feb;32(2):169-179.
doi: 10.3201/eid3202.250549.
Life-Threatening SARS-CoV-2-Associated Encephalopathy and Multiorgan Failure in Children, Asia and Oceania, 2022-2024
Mariko Kasai, Hiroshi Sakuma, Motomasa Suzuki, Masahiro Nishiyama, Nanako Kawata, Jainn-Jim Lin, Kuang-Lin Lin, Velda Han, Shekeeb S Mohammad, Russell C Dale, Terrence Thomas, Kazuhiro Muramatsu, Osamu Mitani, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Kouhei Ishida, Yuichi Abe, Ichiro Kuki, Jun-Ichi Takanashi
SARS-CoV-2 infections in children occasionally manifest with severe neurologic signs. We report a case series of life-threatening encephalopathy associated with SARS-CoV-2 in 25 children in Australia, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan during February 2022-January 2024. All children had severe encephalopathy develop, characterized by rapidly progressive cerebral edema, conditions known as acute shock with encephalopathy and multiorgan failure or acute fulminant cerebral edema. Among the 25 patients, 22 (88%) eventually died; 11 (44%) children died within 24 hours of hospitalization. In addition, 18 (72%) had illness manifest with shock, and 14 (56%) had multiorgan failure develop within 6 hours of neurologic onset. Serum concentrations of cytokines/chemokines including interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were significantly higher within 24 hours of onset than for controls. SARS-CoV-2-associated encephalopathy cases such as those described here represent an emerging neurologic crisis with high mortality rate resulting from rapidly progressive brain edema and multiorgan failure.
Keywords: Australia; COVID-19; Japan; SARS-CoV-2; Singapore; Taiwan; brain edema; cytokine release syndrome; meningitis/encephalitis; multiorgan failure; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; shock; viruses.
. 2026 Feb;32(2):169-179.
doi: 10.3201/eid3202.250549.
Life-Threatening SARS-CoV-2-Associated Encephalopathy and Multiorgan Failure in Children, Asia and Oceania, 2022-2024
Mariko Kasai, Hiroshi Sakuma, Motomasa Suzuki, Masahiro Nishiyama, Nanako Kawata, Jainn-Jim Lin, Kuang-Lin Lin, Velda Han, Shekeeb S Mohammad, Russell C Dale, Terrence Thomas, Kazuhiro Muramatsu, Osamu Mitani, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Kouhei Ishida, Yuichi Abe, Ichiro Kuki, Jun-Ichi Takanashi
- PMID: 41714597
- DOI: 10.3201/eid3202.250549
SARS-CoV-2 infections in children occasionally manifest with severe neurologic signs. We report a case series of life-threatening encephalopathy associated with SARS-CoV-2 in 25 children in Australia, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan during February 2022-January 2024. All children had severe encephalopathy develop, characterized by rapidly progressive cerebral edema, conditions known as acute shock with encephalopathy and multiorgan failure or acute fulminant cerebral edema. Among the 25 patients, 22 (88%) eventually died; 11 (44%) children died within 24 hours of hospitalization. In addition, 18 (72%) had illness manifest with shock, and 14 (56%) had multiorgan failure develop within 6 hours of neurologic onset. Serum concentrations of cytokines/chemokines including interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were significantly higher within 24 hours of onset than for controls. SARS-CoV-2-associated encephalopathy cases such as those described here represent an emerging neurologic crisis with high mortality rate resulting from rapidly progressive brain edema and multiorgan failure.
Keywords: Australia; COVID-19; Japan; SARS-CoV-2; Singapore; Taiwan; brain edema; cytokine release syndrome; meningitis/encephalitis; multiorgan failure; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; shock; viruses.