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. CONCLUSION 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.