What is Kawasaki Syndrome?

Kawasaki Syndrome is a febrile illness in which the fever lasts for 5 days or longer, with at least four of the five following physical findings and no other more reasonable explanation of the observed clinical findings:

• Bilateral conjunctival injection (red eyes)
• Oral changes:
  • Erythema (redness) of the lips, mouth and pharynx
  • Strawberry-colored tongue
  • Red, cracked lips
• Peripheral extremity changes:
  • Edema (swelling)
  • Erythema
  • Generalized or periungual (around the fingernail and toenail beds) peeling and redness
• Cervical lymphadenopathy (at least one lymph node greater than or equal to 1.5 cm in diameter)
• Rash

Who gets Kawasaki Syndrome?

• Children under five years of age are most commonly affected
• Children over eight years of age rarely, if ever, have the disease

How is Kawasaki Syndrome spread?

The cause of Kawasaki Syndrome is unknown.

How is Kawasaki Syndrome diagnosed?

There is no specific laboratory test to diagnose Kawasaki Syndrome. A case of Kawasaki Syndrome is confirmed when a case meets the clinical case definition.

Comment: If fever disappears after intravenous gamma globulin therapy is started, the clinical case definition may still be met even if the fever lasts less than 5 days.

Where can I get more information?

Contact your physician or the Southern Nevada Health District, Office of Epidemiology at (702) 759-1300.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Case definitions for infectious conditions under public health surveillance. MMWR 1990; 39 (No. RR-13):17