On the interpretation of the atmospheric mechanism transporting the environmental trigger of Kawasaki Disease

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 14; no. 12; p. e0226402
• Main Authors: Ballester, Joan, Borràs, Sílvia, Curcoll, Roger, Navarro-Gallinad, Albert, Pozdniakova, Sofya, Cañas, Lidia, Burns, Jane C, Rodó, Xavier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 16.12.2019; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Air samples; Air sampling; Analysis; Atmosphere; Atmospheric models; Atmospheric transport; Biological weapons; Biology and Life Sciences; Canada - epidemiology; Climate; Climatic analysis; Consortia; Dispersion models; Dynamic tests; Earth Sciences; Environment; Environmental Monitoring; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Formal Comment; Geography; Humans; Incidence; Japan - epidemiology; Kawasaki disease; Kawasaki syndrome; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome - epidemiology; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome - etiology; New Zealand - epidemiology; Ocean models; Oceans; People and Places; Physical Sciences; Precipitating Factors; Risk Factors; Seasonal variations; Seasons; Standard deviation; Time series; United States - epidemiology; Wind; New Zealand; Canada; United States; Japan; Quebec; China; Quebec Canada; Montreal Quebec Canada; Pacific Ocean; Spain
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226402

Recent advances on the environmental determinants of Kawasaki Disease have pointed to the important role of the atmospheric transport of a still unknown agent potentially triggering the disease. The hypothesis arose from an innovative methodology combining expertise in climate dynamics, the analysis of ocean and atmosphere data, the use of dispersion models and the search for biological agents in air samples. The approach offered a new perspective to reveal the identity of the potential trigger, but at the same time, it increased the level of complexity, which could potentially lead to the misinterpretation of the mechanisms. Some years after it was originally formulated, we here provide a brief clarification on the approach and limits of the methodology in order to prevent an eventual misuse of our research ideas and theory, so that further research can better focus on the knowledge gaps that still remain open.