Searching for the environmental triggers of Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease, an inflammatory syndrome that causes swelling in blood vessels, is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children under five. Its exact cause remains unknown despite decades of research, but evidence strongly points to an inhaled environmental aerosol as the trigger. This project will analyze relationships between disease incidence, atmospheric circulation and aerosol composition using the two richest Kawasaki disease datasets available, drawn from Japan and the U.S. The researchers aim to narrow the search for the specific environmental trigger and build predictive models that could alert clinicians when conditions favor a disease outbreak.

Above: Medication prepared to treat Kawasaki disease. Image credit: digicomphoto / iStock