Surveillance of Reye syndrome in the United States, 1977

Between December 1, 1976, and November 30, 1977, 454 cases of Reye syndrome were reported to the Centers for Disease Control by 43 states. Analysis of data about these cases revealed that Reye syndrome primarily affected white children under age 18 years, with a mean age of 7.7 years and bimodal incidence peaks in infancy and at age 6-7 years, was temporally and geographically associated with influenza B for about 75% of cases, but also occurred sporadically and not in association with influenza B activity. Although Reye syndrome was reported infrequently for non-white children aged one year or older, there was a high incidence in minority infants, and the case-fatality ratio in infants of all races was significantly higher than that of the older children. Favorable outcome was associated with prolonged interval between onset of prodromal illness and hospitalization, admission to hospital at a milder stage of illness, and treatment in hospitals with established pediatric training programs.