Skip to main content

Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease is a rare condition that causes the blood vessels to swell. It usually affects children under the age of 5 but adults can get it too. It's not usually serious but can lead to heart problems if it's not treated early.

Symptoms of Kawasaki disease

The main symptom of Kawasaki disease is a high temperature (fever) that lasts for 5 days or more.

Other symptoms may include:

  • swollen glands in the neck
  • a rash
  • the palms of the hands and soles of the feet turning bright red (this may be harder to see on brown or black skin)
  • red (bloodshot) eyes
  • dry and cracked lips
  • redness inside the mouth and on the tongue (called "strawberry tongue")
  • being very irritable
Information:

Kawasaki disease is rare. The symptoms are similar to many more common childhood illnesses.

Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you or your child have:

  • symptoms of Kawasaki disease

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online. Call 111 if you need advice for a child under 5 years old.

How Kawasaki disease is diagnosed

There is no single test to diagnose Kawasaki disease.

A healthcare professional will ask about your or your child's symptoms and may examine you or your child.

They may also do some tests such as:

Treatment for Kawasaki disease

The main treatment for Kawasaki disease is aspirin and medicine given into a vein.

You'll usually have treatment in hospital for a few days.

If you're at higher risk of getting seriously unwell, you may also be offered steroid medicine.

Those at higher risk include:

  • babies under 6 months old
  • people with severe inflammation or a fever that does not go away

You can go home after your treatment. You might have more appointments to check you've recovered fully and to check your heart.

Important

Do not give aspirin to children under 16 years old unless it's prescribed by a healthcare professional.

Complications of Kawasaki disease

Most people fully recover from Kawasaki disease if it's diagnosed and treated early.

But sometimes it can cause problems such as damage and swelling in the blood vessels in the heart.

If you have complications from Kawasaki disease, you may be more likely to get other heart problems later in life. You may need to have regular check-ups for the rest of your life to check your heart is working well.

A doctor will tell you if you're at higher risk of heart problems and give you advice on what you can do.

Causes of Kawasaki disease

There is no known cause of Kawasaki disease. There's some evidence that it may run in families. It's more common in people from a Japanese or Korean background.

You cannot catch it from other people.

Help and support for Kawasaki disease

Society is a national charity that offers further information and support for people diagnosed with Kawasaki disease and their families:

Page last reviewed: 19 February 2026
Next review due: 19 February 2029