Kawasaki disease is a children's illness. It's also known as Kawasaki syndrome or mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome. It and acute rheumatic fever are the two leading causes of acquired heart disease in children in the United States. But it can occur in every racial and ethnic group. More than 1,800 cases of Kawasaki disease are being diagnosed annually in the United States.
Mortality is under one percent.
Fever, rash, swollen hands and feet, irritation and redness of the whites of the eyes, swollen lymph glands in the neck, and irritation and inflammation of the mouth, lips and throat all characterize Kawasaki disease. Doctors don't know what causes Kawasaki disease, but it doesn't appear to be hereditary or contagious. Scientists who've studied the disease think the evidence strongly suggests it's caused by an infectious agent such as a virus. It's very rare for more than one child in a family to develop Kawasaki disease. Less than 2 percent of children have another attack of Kawasaki disease.