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.
