Epidemiology of Kawasaki disease in the United States and worldwide

Kawasaki disease is a leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in the United States, Japan, and many other countries. The largest number of cases have been reported from Japan, where about 117 000 cases were recorded in 1992. In countries with small Asian populations, Kawasaki disease appears to disproportionally affect children of Asian heritage. Epidemics of Kawasaki disease were observed in Japan in 1979, 1982, and 1986. Various regional outbreaks were also reported in the US during the late 1970s and through to the mid-1980s. Few countries have reported outbreaks in the 1990s. This paper reviews the epidemiology of Kawasaki disease in published reports from countries in North and South America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.