About MIS

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The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and CDC have developed a new CSTE/CDC MIS-C surveillance case definition, corresponding case report form [441 KB, 3 pages], and case report form guidance document [329 KB, 10 pages] to be used starting January 1, 2023. MIS-C cases with illness onset before January 1, 2023, but reported after January 1, 2023, will be assigned using the 2020 CDC MIS-C case definition but reported using the new case report form. An interim case reporting guidance document [181 KB, 4 pages] will be provided for these cases.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) and Adults (MIS-A)

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) is a rare but serious condition associated with COVID-19 in which different internal and external body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal tract. MIS can affect children (MIS-C) and adults (MIS-A).

MIS-C case definition includes people who are younger than 21 years old, and MIS-A case definition includes people who are 21 years and older.

Based on what we know now, the best way to prevent MIS-C or MIS-A is to take actions to protect yourself from getting COVID-19, including COVID-19 vaccination for people 6 months and older.

MIS-C and MIS-A Signs and Symptoms

Children and adults with MIS experience:

  • Ongoing fever PLUS more than one of the following:
    • Stomach pain
    • Bloodshot eyes
    • Diarrhea
    • Dizziness or lightheadedness (signs of low blood pressure)
    • Skin rash
    • Vomiting
Father Caring For Sick Son Ill In Bed With Temperature
Team of confident medical experts with protective face masks
Asian Senior man lying on sofa while his wife holding a thermometer
When to seek Emergency Care

If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Pain or pressure in the chest that does not go away
  • Confusion or unusual behavior
  • Severe abdominal pain
  • Inability to wake or stay awake
  • Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone

This list does not include all possible symptoms. Please call a medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.