An Evaluation of the Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality Surveillance System in Detecting Influenza Associated Encephalopathy during the 2024-2025 Influenza Season
- Presentation Day/Time: Wednesday, April 22, 1:05 PM
- Presenter: Patrick Maloney, PhD, MPH, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Influenza Division
The Issue
- Pediatric influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE) can cause severe illness and death. IAE surveillance is not routine in the United States, but the Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality Surveillance System passively captures complications which can serve as proxy for IAE. We wanted to assess its performance in detecting IAE deaths.
What We Did
- During the 2024–25 flu season, in response to anecdotal reports of IAE, CDC implemented national pediatric IAE surveillance. Flu-associated pediatric deaths with encephalopathy or encephalitis identified in the passive system were compared with IAE deaths detected and verified by this active system.
What We Found
- The passive system proved to have moderate sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) for detecting IAE deaths.
What This Means
- Training reporters about IAE and collecting additional clinical information about pediatric deaths might improve the sensitivity, specificity, and PPV of the Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality Surveillance System.
