Transmission of acute infectious illness among cases of Kawasaki disease and their household members
Journal
Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Journal Volume
114
Journal Issue
1
Pages
72-76
Date Issued
2015
Author(s)
Fan T.-Y.
Cheng A.-L.
Hu J.-J.
Yeh S.-J.
Chang C.-C.
Abstract
Background/purpose: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a disease of unknown cause and the causative agent is most likely to be infectious in nature. To investigate the household transmission pattern of infectious illness and etiology, we thus initiated a prospective case and household study. Methods: We enrolled KD cases and their household members from February 2004 to September 2008. The KD cases and their household members accepted questionnaire-based interviews of the contact history, signs of infection, and symptoms to check whether clusters of infectious illness occurred. Results: A total of 142KD cases and 561 household members were enrolled. Among the 142KD cases, 136 cases (96%) were typical KD, and six (4%) were atypical KD. Of the 561 household members, 17% were siblings, 46% were parents, 18% were grandparents, and the others were cousins or babysitters. Prior to the onset of their KD illness, 66% (94/142) KD cases had contact with ill household members. On the same day of the onset of KD cases' illness, 4% (6/142) KD cases had household members with illness. After KD cases' disease onset, 70% (100/142) KD cases had at least one other family member with illness. Overall, 61% (343/561) of all the household members had acute infectious illness during KD cases' acute stage, and 92% (130/142) of the families had clusters of infectious illness. Conclusion: A total of 66% KD cases had positive contact with ill household members prior to their disease onset and 92% of families had clusters of infectious illness, so KD is strongly associated with infections. ? 2014.
SDGs
Other Subjects
acute disease; adult; Article; child; clinical feature; common cold; conjunctivitis; contact examination; coughing; desquamation; diarrhea; disease association; disease transmission; Enterovirus; family study; father; female; fever; grandparent; hand foot and mouth disease; household; human; Human adenovirus 2; Human respiratory syncytial virus; infection; Influenza virus; interview; lip; lower respiratory tract infection; lymphadenopathy; major clinical study; male; mother; mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome; pharyngitis; questionnaire; rash; rhinorrhea; sibling; syndrome; Taiwan; tongue; tonsillitis; upper respiratory tract infection; virus culture; clinical trial; communicable disease; complication; family; infant; mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome; multicenter study; preschool child; prospective study; transmission; Acute Disease; Child; Child, Preschool; Communicable Diseases; Family; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome; Prospective Studies; Taiwan
Publisher
Elsevier B.V.
Type
journal article