Kawasaki disease was first discovered in Japan by the United States and it was found to be a leading cause for heart failure in children under the age of 5. The disease occurs more often in boys rather than girls and affects the mucus membranes, walls of blood vessels, lymph nodes, and the heart. Kawasaki occurs most in Japan but for the most part still remains a rare disease. It has also shown to cause inflammation of the blood vessels.
However the cause of Kawasaki disease has not yet been determined and begins by causing the infected youth to sustain a high fever of 102 to 104 degrees between 5 and 14 days. This fever is the first symptom of Kawasaki disease and is not usually affected by basic medicinal remedies such as Tylenol or ibuprofen. Other symptoms include; bloodshot eyes, chapped lips, swollen hands and feet, swollen lymph nodes, joint pain and swelling, strawberry tongue, and red mucous membranes to form around the mouth. Unfortunately, no tests can specifically identify Kawasaki disease and instead diagnosis is left up to the observation of classical symptoms of this disease.
The mortality rate only reaches up to 1% for children who are infected with Kawasaki disease within the first 6 weeks who are left untreated and only 0.01% for children who are treated. Children who are treated for this disease are admitted to the hospital immediately and given high doses of gamma globulin which has shown to dramatically improve their health within the first 24 hours. However up to 25% of children who are treated are still prone to developing future problems in their coronary arteries.
Usually full recovery can be expected but parents are strongly recommended to bring their children in for an echocardiogram test every 1 to 2 years to screen the heart for any possible complications. Not properly screening a child that has been infected with Kawasaki disease can lead to aneurysms which can lead to a fatal heart attack at an early age. Currently there are no known measures for prevention against Kawasaki disease however further testing is currently undergoing to fully understand disease and to help cure it.
Sources:
“Kawasaki Syndrome and RotaTeq Vaccine” Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)