Children over age eight are rarely affected. But it can occur in every racial and ethnic group.
Mortality is under two percent.
Symptoms 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. Causes Doctors don't know what causes Kawasaki disease, but it doesn't appear to be hereditary or contagious. Scientists who have studied the disease think it may be caused by an infectious agent such as a virus. It is very rare for more than one child in a family to develop Kawasaki disease. In as many as twenty percent of the children with Kawasaki disease, the heart is affected.