Possible cause, source of Kawasaki disease: Windborne agent from northeast China

The likely causative agent of Kawasaki disease (KD) in Japan is a windborne agent originating from a source in northeast China, an international research team has concluded. KD is a mysterious childhood ailment that can permanently damage coronary arteries, and is the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children. It is difficult to diagnose and, without treatment, 25 percent of children with KD develop coronary artery aneurysms -- balloon-like bulges of heart vessels -- that may event...