Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Science – Health and Medicine  

About: 

• Kawasaki disease is a syndrome of unknown cause that results in a fever and mainly affects children under 5 years of age.  
• It is a form of vasculitis, where blood vessels become inflamed throughout the body. 
• The fever typically lasts for more than five days and is not affected by usual medications. 

Why in news? 

• Children with Covid-19 infection have often shown some symptoms similar to those associated with a rare illness called Kawasaki disease. 
• World Health Organization (WHO) termed this new illness “multisystem inflammatory disorder”. 

Symptoms: 

• It affects children.  
• Its symptoms include red eyes, rashes, and a swollen tongue with reddened lips — often termed strawberry tongue — and an inflamed blood vessel system all over the body.  
• There is constant high fever for at least five days.  
• The disease also affects coronary functions in the heart. 

Do you know? 

• What causes Kawasaki disease is not yet known. 
• It is an immunological reaction to an infection or a virus. A child’s immunity system responds to a particular infection and develops these symptoms.