Epidemiology of Kawasaki Disease in Qatar (An Arabian Gulf Country)

Case records were reviewed retrospectively of 49 patients admitted between January 1992 and December 2002 to evaluate the epidemiologic pattern of Kawasaki disease (KD) in Qatar. Ages ranged from three months to nine years with a median of 28 months and a male/female ratio of 2.3:1. During the eleven years, the annual incidence varied from 2.5/100,000 to 20/100,000 and appears to be increasing. Most cases occurred in the cooler season (January-May) affecting predominantly males and children under five years of age with no apparent predilection for any section of the ethnically varied population.