Association between a novel human coronavirus and Kawasaki disease.
Kawasaki disease is a systemic vasculitis of childhood; its etiology is unknown. We identified evidence of a novel human coronavirus, designated "New Haven coronavirus" (HCoV-NH), in respiratory secretions from a 6-month-old infant with classic Kawasaki disease. To further investigate the possible association between HCoV-NH infection and Kawasaki disease, we conducted a case-control study. Specimens of respiratory secretions from 8 (72.7%) of 11 children with Kawasaki disease and from 1 (4.5%) of 22 control subjects (children without Kawasaki disease matched by age and the time the specimens were obtained) tested positive for HCoV-NH by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (Mantel-Haenszel matched odds ratio, 16.0 [95% confidence interval, 3.4-74.4]; P=.0015). These data suggest that HCoV-NH infection is associated with Kawasaki disease.
Esper
Frank
F
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8064, USA.
Shapiro
Eugene D
ED
Weibel
Carla
C
Ferguson
David
D
Landry
Marie L
ML
Kahn
Jeffrey S
JS
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017934:Coronavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000821:virology*; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000821:virology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction