The cause of Kawasaki disease isn't known. The body's response to a virus or infection combined with genetic factors may cause the disease. However, no specific virus or infection has been found, and the role of genetics isn't known. One of the main symptoms of Kawasaki disease is a fever that lasts longer than 5 days.

While the condition is not preventable, it is treatable with most children recovering from the disease. In fact, less than 1 percent of Kawasaki cases are fatal. The danger of Kawasaki syndrome is that it can cause large aneurysms in the blood vessels that feed blood to the heart.