Dangerous Brain Abscesses Spiked In Us Kids As Covid Restrictions Dropped

Enlarge / An MRI image of a brain with an abscess causing seizures. (credit: Getty | BSIP) As pandemic restrictions eased, pediatricians around the country saw alarming upticks of rare brain abscesses in children under 18 years old, with national cases steeply climbing to a peak in December 2022. That's according to two studies led by researchers and health officials, which were published together Thursday in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Even at the height of the unusual surge, the brain infections remained rare overall, and the latest data suggests cases are on the decline.