Kawasaki Disease?
Carpets are large electrostatic charge generators. As the positive charge builds on the child as his skin rubs across the carpet fibers, the atmosphere will supply electrons and other negatively charged particles until the child is “neutralized”. The stronger the electric field in the atmosphere the higher the current flow to the child. If a carpet is cleaned by mechanical action, a neutral child crawling on it will also be attacked by electrons on the carpet and also become negatively charged. Electrons will not just flow across the skin, they will take all paths to ground, including through the child depending upon resistance paths.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kawasaki-disease/basics/symptoms/con-20024663
Symptoms:
- Fever which often is higher than 102.2 F (39 C) and lasts more than five days
- Extremely red eyes (conjunctivitis) without a thick discharge[Negative electron/ion flow from atmosphere to moist conductive eyes]
- A rash on the main part of the body (trunk) and in the genital area [Electrons will flow across skin and concentrate on conductive areas]
- Red, dry, cracked lips and an extremely red, swollen tongue (strawberry tongue) [Negative electron/ion flow from atmosphere to moist lips/tongue]
- Swollen, red skin on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet [Electrical Discharge to/from carpet/Earth ground]
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck and perhaps elsewhere [Lymph is conductive fluid]
- Irritability
Predictions if Kawasaki Disease is related to Static Electricity:
- Should be linked to carpets, which can generate lots of static, either when a child is crawling on them or after a cleaner/dryer/vacuum is used on them (mechanical action):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2020511
“Although the reason for this unusually large outbreak remains obscure, it is the third in which a statistically significant association between Kawasaki syndrome and rug or carpet cleaning has been found.”
http://gawker.com/5122538/the-carpet-cleaner-controversy-that-preceded-jett-travoltas-death
- Should be worse in countries (such as Japan) that do not wear shoes indoors because skin on carpet creates most of the static charge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_disease
“Regardless of where they are living, Japanese children are more likely than other children to manifest the disease, which suggests genetic susceptibility”
http://villagehiker.com/travel/travel-japan/shoe-etiquette-in-japan.html
“Everyone seems to be aware of the no-shoes-inside customs of Japan. How do you wear shoe etiquette seamlessly?”
- Martial arts practiced with bare feet on rubber pads or carpet will generate lots of static charge and should lead to more disease in those countries – Primarily Asian.
Solving the mystery of Kawasaki Disease
“Bill explained how William was excited about Tae Kwon Do before the illness, “Working out everyday. For him just to fall, to go from one extreme to the other, it’s heart breaking.””
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2016/02/15/458331/Nations-Liu.htm
“Liu said it was an unusual experience to compete in a city where the temperature was minus 20 degrees Celsius. “I did not feel right from head to toe,” with static electricity creating noise here and there, he said.”
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/spotlight/03152002/
“KD incidence was inversely associated with mean monthly temperature (r=-0.47, p<0.001), and positively associated with mean monthly precipitation (r=0.52, p<0.001) during the 60-month period.”
- Should begin showing up in kids ~ 6 months old as they begin crawling on carpets and creating lots of static electricity
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16511387
“Kawasaki disease is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in childhood. However, there are only a few reports in infants younger than 6 months.”
http://www.parents.com/baby/development/crawling/when-do-babies-crawl/
“Babies typically begin to crawl between 6 and 10 months,”
- Should be linked with preschools with playgrounds because plastic slides and rubber turf can create lots of static and kids crawl, climb and slide a lot. Electron flow on skin could cause dermatitis.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24069052
Increased risk of atopic dermatitis in preschool children with kawasaki disease: a population-based study in taiwan. Abstract Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile systemic vasculitis and has been reported to be associated with allergic disease.
The chronic electrostatic charge/discharge could also be related to hand foot & mouth disease in children from playgrounds and carpets and other childhood diseases that include inflammation of the lymph system, arteries and the nervous system.
Dark Matters a Lot 
I mean no disrespect, but I don’t see this connection at all in our own case. My daughter was too young to create any electric charge in her movements, and all we have for carpet is an area rug in front of the couch. We’ve also had two other children since then without the illness and haven’t changed where we live or any of our cleaning or other habits or how much carpet is exposed. Everything is essentially the same. And the static charge wouldn’t explain why this is more common for boys.
I do agree with the idea of “genetic susceptibility” though, because regardless of the cause, not everyone gets the disease.
I however can’t help but notice the one single difference in the raising of my 3 children – I know that for whatever reason no one will even touch this theory, but the ONLY difference is vaccination. My oldest (KD kid) got hers and my other two did not. I also know I’m not the only parent who has watched the manifestation of symptoms begin within 48hrs of receiving the MMR vaccine.
The only way to truly test this theory of course would be to allow my other children the vaccine. Seeing as there is no way this theory will ever be published and / or accepted by the CDC, it’s really not worth turning my kids into “lab rats” and going through all the costs and risk of other illnesses that may be hidden from the public all for nothing.
This will just go down as another unexplained illness with many ridiculous theories that couldn’t possibly hold up through majority cases, because it is a corrupt world in which we live. 😦
Boys tend to be more “active” then young girls and generate more static electrical charge, like pigpen…
https://fistfulofscience.wordpress.com/2010/08/09/are-boys-more-aggressive-than-girls/
Are boys more aggressive than girls?
August 9, 2010
In this post I’ll excerpt the portions of Lise Eliot’s Sci Am Mind article having to do with physical activity levels and aggression in boys and girls.
Boys are more physically active than girls, in infancy and throughout childhood. They kick, swing their arms and race around the house noticeably more than girls do, as many exhausted parents can testify. The difference may emerge before birth, although not every ultrasound study finds a sex difference in fetal movement. Nevertheless, the disparity is clear during the first year and expands through childhood, according to a 1986 analysis [possibly this?] of more than 100 studies by psychologist Warren Eaton and his colleagues at the University of Manitoba in Canada, which reveals that the average boy is more active than about 69 percent of girls.
I am fully aware of the behavioural and active differences in the sexes – one of my three children is a boy. Once again just adding to the the flaw in this theory.
And once again, my daughter was barely 4 months old when she got KD – not active at all yet, not enough to support a “static electricity” theory!
How is it a flaw? More boys get Kawasaki Disease than girls, so it supports my theory. Active boys will build more static charge.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/164533.php
What about static electrical charge from the atmosphere during cold dry months? You live in B.C, it is cold up there and humidity drops in the cold, especially when you heat with wood or gas. Do you heat with a fireplace that dries the air and helps static charge buildup on insulating materials? How about synthetic blankets pulled from the dryer with lots of static charge buildup that you wrap your baby in? What about laying her on a recently vacuumed carpet with lots of negative charge buildup?
I do not use a wood stove and I boil water and run a humidifier to avoid the dryness.
My point though, I have 2 daughters and 1 son. Nothing about our environment is any different from the first child to the last and our son HAS been more active, but our DAUGHTER is the one who got the disease. Also, when she did, she was still too young to be even half as active as our son.
Your theory is flawed because given everything the same as has been, our son should have gotten KD – not our daughter. And dismissing the sexes and simply going on the environmental side, all 3 of my children should have had KD.
There are no differences in their upbringing/ environment/ pregnancy exposures etc. . The SINGLE difference aside from 1 – non KD – child being male is that my KD child got vaccinated.
Weather changes all of the time, humidity up North changes all of the time. You never mentioned static from blankets or after vacuuming, but your blog mentions vaccinations. Most people do not tightly control humidity in homes and gas heat dries the air as much as wood.
Again, if it was environmental, my one daughter wouldn’t be the only one who had KD. Our vacuuming, laundering, and other cleaning habits have not changed nor is the way I have cared for each child so no, I did not specify the details about dried blankets or vacuuming. Seeing as I’m the one who lives here, I certainly don’t need anyone to explain the changes in the weather or humidity levels. If these conditions were so crucial to the disease, we would have an epidemic within our region.
OK, I give. B.C. Is a beautiful place, I worked for an engineering firm based in Vancouver B.C. and skied at Whistler/Blackcomb a couple of times. I grew up in Maine so I understand cold winters. Thanks for reading. Stay warm and healthy.
Stewart
BTW KD was linked to weather patterns in a couple of studies, including the dust, which creates lots of static charge in the atmosphere, just like when the Santa Ana winds blow in October/Nov in San Diego area and Kawasaki disease rises. Similar pattern in Hawaii and Japan.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/25743034/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/25743034/
So it looks to have an “environmental” link
I also notice you have wind turbines in Dawson’s Creek, those can increase electric field strength nearby in the atmosphere.
Click to access Lightning-discharges-produced-by-wind-turbines-JGR.pdf
If this hypothesis is true, will wearing metal bracelet help?
[Bracelets have sharp-ish edges that may release static buildup quicker]
I wear a steel bracelet and occasionally touch metal office fixtures to release static during winters.
If our bodies are a capacitor and we want to increase reliability (health) we need to limit inrush current and stress on our components (organs). I don’t think a metal bracelet will do the job, we need to stay grounded and not buildup the large voltage in the first place. Kids probably have much lower tolerance and can generate lots of static playing. Conductive shoes on grounded flooring is probably best…nice hearing from you!
Stewart
http://reebokwork.com/features/static-dissipative-footwear
“Conductive carpet plugged into ground” may be a patentable idea
Related Publication:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15650465
The biologic effects of grounding the human body during sleep as measured by cortisol levels and subjective reporting of sleep, pain, and stress.
You bring some fresh ideas.
Darshan,
Thanks.
http://www.esdcarpet.com/esd-carpet-ground-floor.html
It makes good sense to me as an engineer since improper grounding can cause all sorts of “electrical problems” in industry, especially “low level” signals such as 4-20 mA signals. And yet we install these synthetic carpets/material/plastics our kids play on and they can build up to ~ +/- 25 kV of electrical potential – there is no way that can be healthy, especially long term.
Stewart