Kawasaki disease was described about 60 years ago by a Japanese doctor. This is a disease that causes widespread inflammation. It affects the entire organism and poses a challenge for health specialists, since the symptoms can appear at different times, causing confusion for its diagnosis.
The National Children’s Hospital (HNN) is dealing with three to four cases per month, approximately. María Luisa Ávila, an infectious disease specialist at HNN, explained that there is no laboratory test that can confirm the disease, but that the diagnosis depends on a clinical assessment.
It is important that physicians make a recapitulation of data and recent symptoms, otherwise it can be confused with bacterial infections, allergic reactions to medications or measles, for example.
Dr. Avila explained that the behavior of the symptoms is varied. However, it’s crucial to apply the treatment in the first 10 days to avoid cardiac complications. Doctors use a drug called gammaglobulin, which gives a kind of “hit” to the immune system and its effect is immediate.
According to the specialist, this disease affects children aged two to five and it’s more common in boys.
The HNN is the only medical center that takes these cases. According to the specialist, at this moment they are trying to determine if there is a seasonality, because they have been able to identify that every time there is affectation, there’s dust coming from the Sahara.
Currently, there is a Latin American network that investigates this disease and is headed by a Costa Rican doctor.
Kawasaki could occur at any stage of life, even in adults, but it is rare.