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. 2006 Apr 3;100(4):552–557. doi: 10.1016/S0022-3476(82)80751-8

An epidemic of Kawasaki syndrome in Hawaii

Andrew G Dean a,b,c,*, Marian E Melish a,b,c, Raquel Hicks a,b,c, Nicholas E Palumbo a,b,c
PMCID: PMC7131104  PMID: 7062202

Abstract

A community-wide outbreak of Kawasaki syndrome, apparently the first in the United States, occurred in Hawaii in the first half of 1978. Twenty-seven of the 33 cases were subjected to intensive epidemiologic and microbiologic study. Patients with Kawasaki syndrome, compared to the general population, more often had Japanese ancestry, high-income status, and possibly a history of respiratory infection in the preceding month (44%). Staphylococcus aureus was not found in high frequency in the patients (15%), and viral cultures and serologic studies, immune electron microscopy, and guinea pig and primate inoculation did not reveal a causative microorganism. Febrile illnesses in guinea pigs inoculated with a skin biopsy specimen could not be further passaged.

Footnotes

Partially supported by contract NIAID 5101-A102228 and Grant NHLB HL23824 from the National Institutes of Health.

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