Kawasaki Disease

• A condition that causes inflammation in the walls of some blood vessels in the body. It was first reported in 1961, in Japan.
• It’s most common in infants and young children.
• Early stages include a rash and fever. Symptoms include high fever and peeling skin. In late stages, there may be inflammation of medium-sized blood vessels (vasculitis). It also affects lymph nodes, skin and mucous membranes, such as inside the mouth which is known as Strawberry tongue.
• The cause of this disease is unknown, but is known that it is an immunological reaction to certain infections.

How is it related to COVID-19?

• Around the world, children with Covid-19 infection are showing some symptoms of Kawasaki disease, 2-3 weeks after getting infected with coronavirus.
• Rashes and inflammation are the symptoms shown by the children. Other symptoms are not shown.
• In some instances, these symptoms are also being shown in Covid negative children.
• This has been found in the US, Europe since April 2020. In India these types of symptoms were seen by doctors since june 2020 last week.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) termed this new illness as “Multisystem Inflammatory Disorder”.
• The Royal college of Paediatricians and Child Health

What are things unknown about this disease?

• Does this happen only to children or even adults?
• Cause of the disease.
• Information about its risk factors, parthenogenesis, clinical course and treatment.

What are things known about this disease?

• Mostly affected to the people below the age 19.
• Inflammation, abdominal pain, diarrhoea are common.
• Heart attack and septic shock may happen.