A Summary of the Epidemiologic Surveys on Kawasaki Disease Conducted over 30 years

Abstract

Kawasaki Disease (acute febrile mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome) is a childhood disease that is prevalent in Japan, and causes coronary aneurysms. Dr. Tomisaku Kawasaki first described this disease in Japan in 1967. In 1970, the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare organized the Japan Kawasaki Disease Research Committee to investigate its epidemiologic features, causes, pathological features, and treatment. This committee established diagnostic guidelines for Kawasaki Disease that were used in nationwide surveys that were subsequently conducted. Since then, a total of 16 surveys have been conducted every two years and the 17th survey was conducted in 2003. These nationwide surveys have high response rates and they are highly reliable. In addition to these surveys conducted by the Research Committee, many epidemiologic studies have been conducted. Thus, an enormous amount of data has been collected in Japan. Although the cause of this disease remains unknown, any etiological hypothesis A Summary of the Epidemiologic Surveys on Kawasaki Disease Conducted over 30 years