First identified in Japan in 1967, Kawasaki disease (also called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome) affects young children, usually under the age of 5. It is believed to be caused by a noncontagious infection, although scientists are unsure of the exact cause.

Kawasaki disease is a self-limiting disease, meaning that symptoms appear for a short while and will go away on their own. Symptoms of Kawasaki include fever, rash and swelling in the hands, feet and lymph nodes. The condition may also affect the linings of blood vessels and the heart muscle, and it can lead to aneurysms and heart attack.

Prompt treatment can dramatically reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular damage from the disease, and the overall mortality rate is low. Less than 1 percent of children with Kawasaki disease die from it. Surgery or a catheter-based procedure is also available to treat some long-term effects of the disease.