Evaluation of seasonal patterns of Kawasaki syndrome- and rotavirus-associated hospitalizations in California and New York, 2000-2005.
BACKGROUND
Kawasaki Syndrome (KS) is an uncommon childhood disease with unknown etiology. It has been suggested that rotavirus infection may play a causative role in the development of KS.


METHODS
To examine potential temporal associations between KS and rotavirus infection, seasonal patterns of KS- and rotavirus-associated hospitalizations among children in California and New York during 2000-2005 were compared.


RESULTS
Rotavirus hospital admissions were markedly winter seasonal, with very few summer hospitalizations. KS hospitalizations occurred year-round but also peaked slightly during winter and spring.


CONCLUSIONS
The strong winter seasonal pattern of rotavirus clearly differed from the year-round pattern of KS hospitalizations. While the present study cannot completely rule out rotavirus as having a role in the development of KS, other agents must be involved in the etiology of KS.
MacNeil
Adam
A
Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-borne and Enteric Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA, USA. aho3@cdc.gov
Holman
Robert C
RC
Yorita
Krista L
KL
Steiner
Claudia A
CA
Parashar
Umesh D
UD
Belay
Ermias D
ED
D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012621:Seasons