Kawasaki disease in England: Ethnicity, deprivation, and respiratory pathogens

Abstract

BACKGROUND:: Kawasaki disease is now the commonest cause of acquired heart disease in children in the United Kingdom. Its incidence has increased in recent years. Epidemiologic analyses have provided insights into the possible etiology, but European data are scarce. METHODS:: We analyzed linked England-wide hospital admission data for Kawasaki disease in people younger than 18 years of age, during a 5-year period (1998-2003), relating incidence to geographic location, urbanization, deprivation, ethnicity, and to laboratory reports of respiratory virus infection. RESULTS:: There were 2432 admissions with Kawasaki disease in the study period for 1704 individuals. One thousand twenty-eight (60%..