Kawasaki Syndrome Factsheet

Kawasaki disease (KD), also known as Kawasaki syndrome, is a relatively rare but serious illness that primarily affects young children. KD is a leading cause of acquired heart disease in the United States.

This disease was first described in Japan by Tomisaku Kawasaki in 1967. The first case outside of Japan was in Hawaii in 1976. KD can occur worldwide, but Japan has the highest rate of KD.

Little is known about the way a person gets Kawasaki syndrome or how it spreads. It does not appear to be transmitted from person to person. Since outbreaks occur, they may be caused by an infectious agent. It is not known when and for how long the disease is able to spread to others. Reoccurring infections have been reported but they are extremely rare. 

Risk factors for Kawasaki syndrome include: 

• Age: Most cases occur in children between the ages of one and five
• Gender: Cases in children often occur more often in boys than girls
• Seasonality: KD may have a winter-spring seasonality

It is unknown how long it takes for symptoms to appear since the disease’s cause and spread are unknown. Symptoms include: 

• Fever: that does not respond to antibiotics. This symptom is found in all cases.
  • The fever lasts more than 5 days
  • The fever is associated with
    • Rash confined to the patient’s trunk and sometimes followed by a peeling of the skin on the hands and fingers
    • Swollen lymph nodes
    • Red eyes, lips, throat and tongue

There is no test for KD. A health care provider will diagnose the disease based on symptoms.

Most patients are treated with supportive therapy in the hospital where they can be closely watched. Feverreducing medications are often prescribed.

At the present time, it is unknown how this disease is spread; therefore, no specific prevention efforts are recommended. Clusters should be reported to the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. 

For more information about the treatment of Kawasaki syndrome contact your health care provider or visit Kawasaki Syndrome | CDC.

Individuals should not be excluded from child care, school, work, or other activities unless the general exclusions apply. 

For additional information about Kawasaki Disease,

contact the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services’, Division of Public Health, at 800.472.2180. 

1.Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, June 4). CDC Kawasaki Syndrome. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved May 4, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/kawasaki/index.html. 

2. Heymann, D. L. (2015). Control of Communicable Disease Manual, 21st Edition. American Public Health Association [Kawasaki Syndrome] [pages 338-341]. 

3. Kimberlin, D. W., Barnett, E. D., Lynfield, R., Sawyer, M. H. (2021) Red Book: 2021- Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 31st ed. American Academy of Pediatrics. [Management and Prevention of Infectious Diseases; Kawasaki Disease] [pages 122-133; 457-464].

08/23/24