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World J Clin Pediatr. Dec 9, 2026; 15(4): 121910
Published online Dec 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.121910
Published online Dec 9, 2026. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.121910
Etiological spectrum of acute encephalitis syndrome in children in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Prateek Kumar Panda, Indar Kumar Sharawat, Dibya Prasanna Rana, Arnav Ranjan, Siddhant Govekar, Harikrishnan Kodamana, Deepak Kumar, Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh 249203, Uttarākhand, India
Pragnya Panda, Department of Neurology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehra Dun 248016, Uttarākhand, India
Kalpana Panda, Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneshwar 751003, Odisha, India
Co-first authors: Prateek Kumar Panda and Pragnya Panda.
Author contributions: Panda PK, Panda P, and Sharawat IK conceptualized the meta-analysis and developed the study protocol; Panda PK, Rana DP, Ranjan A, Govekar S, Kodamana H, and Kumar D performed the literature search, study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment; Panda PK and Panda P performed the statistical analysis; Panda PK and Sharawat IK drafted the manuscript; Panda P and Panda K provided the necessary intellectual inputs; Panda K is the corresponding author and guarantor of the manuscript; and all authors have critically revised and approved the final version of the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: A generative AI tool was used solely to assist with language refinement and improvement of grammar. No AI tool was used for data analysis, result interpretation, generation of scientific conclusions, or creation of references. All content was critically reviewed and verified by the authors, who take full responsibility for the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Corresponding author: Kalpana Panda, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Kalinga Nagar, Bhubaneshwar 751003, Odisha, India. drkalpanapanda@gmail.com
Received: April 7, 2026
Revised: May 12, 2026
Accepted: June 1, 2026
Published online: December 9, 2026
Processing time: 168 Days and 11.1 Hours
Revised: May 12, 2026
Accepted: June 1, 2026
Published online: December 9, 2026
Processing time: 168 Days and 11.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This meta-analysis of 69 studies shows that scrub typhus and Japanese encephalitis are the leading identifiable etiologies of pediatric acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in India. Enterovirus, dengue virus, herpes simplex virus, and Epstein-Barr virus are other etiological agents detected in the AES cases. These findings underline the need to consider a wider range of infectious etiologies in children presenting with AES. Broader diagnostic methods, including molecular techniques, may improve diagnostic yield and facilitate early targeted therapy in children with AES.