Epidemiology of Kawasaki Disease After the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan 2023-2024
Authors' conclusion
In this nationwide cohort study of KD in Japan, KD incidence rebounded after the relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions, with age-dependent patterns.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) in the Japanese Nationwide Survey of Kawasaki Disease 2023–2024, plus historical survey data 1975 through 2024467,456 in 1975–2024 trend analysis
- Participants
- 29,841 patients
- Exposure
- Infants vs 1 to 4 years vs 5 to 9 years
- Outcome
- Annual KD incidence overall and stratified by 3 age groups: infants (<1 year), 1 to 4 years, and 5 to 9 years
Methodological detailsdescriptive epidemiologic analysis, nationwide survey, 50 years of historical data
- Descriptive epidemiologic analysis
- Nationwide survey
- 50 years of historical data
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Annual KD incidence
- Patients registered in 2023
- 15 032
- Patients registered in 2024
- 14 809
- Increase in KD incidence rates across the 50-year period, despite a 61.6% decline in the population under 5 years
- 16.1-fold
- Patient-number nadir in 2022
- 10 333
- Rebound to 15 032 cases in 2023 (increase)
- 45.5%
- Indexed incidence (2017 = 100), 5 to 9 years: largest decline, nadir in 2021 (45.8% below baseline)
- 54.2
- Indexed incidence (2017 = 100), 5 to 9 years: largest rebound in 2024 (34.8% above baseline)
- 134.8
- Indexed incidence (2017 = 100), <1 year: smallest decline, nadir; did not return to baseline
- 73
- Magnitude of rebound, infants
- 26.1%
- Magnitude of rebound, aged 1 year
- 38.9%
- Magnitude of rebound, aged 2 years
- 42.7%
- Magnitude of rebound, aged 3 years
- 85.8%
- Magnitude of rebound, aged 4 years
- 105.3%
- Magnitude of rebound, aged 5 to 9 years
- 166.7%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Epidemiology of Kawasaki Disease After the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan 2023-2024. JAMA Netw Open. Published 3 August 2026. doi:10.
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