Kawasaki-Like Disease More Common in Children of African Ancestry

MONDAY, June 8, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A Kawasaki-like multisystem inflammatory syndrome, which is temporally associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among children in Paris, seems more common among children of African ancestry, according to a study published online June 3 in The BMJ.

Julie Toubiana, M.D., Ph.D., from the Université de Paris, and colleagues conducted a prospective observational study involving 21 children and adolescents (median age, 7.9 years) with features of Kawasaki disease who were admitted to the hospital between April 27 and May 11, 2020.

The researchers found that 12 patients (57 percent) were of African ancestry. Overall, 12 and 16 patients presented with Kawasaki disease shock syndrome and myocarditis, respectively. Intensive care support was required by 17 of the patients. Noticeable gastrointestinal symptoms were identified in all 21 patients during the early stage of illness, and they had high levels of inflammatory markers. Evidence of recent SARS-CoV-2 infection was evident in 19 of the patients. All patients received intravenous immunoglobulin and 10 received corticosteroids. In all patients, the clinical outcome was favorable. Five of the patients had moderate coronary artery dilations detected during hospital stay. All patients were discharged home by May 15, 2020.

“These clinical findings should prompt high vigilance among primary care and emergency doctors, and preparedness during the COVID-19 pandemic in countries with a high proportion of children of African ancestry,” the authors write.

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