REKAMLATINA
Enfermedad de Kawasaki en América Latina
Introduction and a brief history
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REKAMLATINA (Red de Enfermedad de Kawasaki en América Latina) is the largest multinational research network dedicated to Kawasaki Disease (KD) in Latin America.
Launched in 2013 by pediatric infectious disease specialists from the University of California San Diego, Hospital Nacional de Niños “Dr. Carlos Sáenz Herrera”, and the Sociedad Latinoamericana de Infectología Pediátrica (SLIPE), REKAMLATINA was established to address the critical lack of epidemiological and treatment data about patients with KD across Latin America. Currently, the network connects over 120 researchers and more than 85 hospitals across 20 countries, working collaboratively to improve the understanding and care of KD in Latin American children.
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Our Vision
REKAMLATINA brings together a diverse community of pediatric specialists, researchers, and clinicians from across Latin America, united by the goal of improving KD care in the region. By building bridges between countries and specialities, the network is committed to closing gaps in awareness, diagnosis, and treatment. REKAMLATINA strives to ensure that every child with KD receives timely and appropriate diagnosis and treatment, regardless of where they live or their access to resources.
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The objectives of REKAMLATINA are:
1. Increasing awareness about KD throughout Latin America
2. Fostering research and multicenter collaboration among academic institutions throughout Latin America in the field of KD
3. Improving early diagnosis, aiming to reduce complications and improve patient outcomes.
4. Supporting ongoing education for healthcare professionals and families
5. Developing and maintaining national and regional registries to inform public health strategies and advocacy
6. Promoting partnerships and knowledge exchanging both within Latin America and with the global KD community
Research, Publications, and more
Impact of social determinants of health on the outcomes of Latin American children with Kawasaki Disease (REK-4)
REKAMLATINA collaborators across Latin America are currently conducting a multicenter study to highlight the important role that social determinants of health, such as parental education levels, the condition and ownership status of the household, and access to reliable transportation to medical centers, play in shaping clinical outcomes in pediatric inflammatory conditions. While not specific to Kawasaki disease, the findings offer valuable insight into how structural inequities may influence the severity of illness and access to care in children presenting with Kawasaki-like features. As we continue exploring social and clinical risk factors within the REK-4 cohort, this study reinforces the importance of integrating social context into both research and care strategies.
Current Publications
Bainto EV et al. Clinical Presentation and Outcomes of Kawasaki Disease in Children from Latin America: A Multicenter Observational Study from the REKAMLATINA Network. J Pediatr. 2023 May;254:72-79.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.12.050. PMID: 36775190
Estripeaut, D., Levy, J., Luciani, K., Tapia, A., Daza, C., Méndez-Ríos, J. D., Tremoulet, A. H., & Ulloa-Gutierrez, R. (2020). Estudio multicéntrico retrospectivo de los aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos y terapéuticos de la enfermedad de Kawasaki en niños de Panamá [Multicenter retrospective study about the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of Kawasaki disease in children from Panama]. Revista chilena de infectologia : organo oficial de la Sociedad Chilena de Infectologia, 37(6), 675–682.
https://doi.org/10.4067/S0716-10182020000600675
Fernández-Sarmiento J, Acevedo L, Niño-Serna LF, et al. Risk Factors Associated with Intensive Care Admission in Children with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2-Related Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C) in Latin America: A Multicenter Observational Study of the REKAMLATINA Network. Journal of Intensive Care Medicine. 2024;39(8):785-793. doi:
Fortuna-Reyna B et al. Use of Adjunctive Therapy in Acute Kawasaki Disease in Latin America. Front Pediatr. 2020 Sep 15;8:442. doi:
10.3389/fped.2020.00442. PMID: 33194876 Free PMC article.
Gámez-González LB et al. Kawasaki disease presenting with hoarseness: A multinational study of the REKAMLATINA network. Pediatr Int. 2020 Nov;62(11):1273-1279. doi:
10.1111/ped.14521. PMID: 33099854
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Gámez-González, L. B., Murata, C., García-Silva, J., Ulloa-Gutierrez, R., Márquez-Aguirre, M., Ríos-Olivares, I., Faugier-Fuentes, E., Domínguez-Rojas, J. A., Yock-Corrales, A., Álvarez-Olmos, M. I., Fernández-Sarmiento, J., Velasquez-Méndez, M., Ivankovich-Escoto, G., Tremoulet, A. H., Yamazaki-Nakashimada, M. A., & REKAMLATINA-3 MIS-C STUDY GROUP INVESTIGATORS (2024). Macrophage Activation Syndrome in MIS-C. Pediatrics, 154(6), e2024066780. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2024-066780
García-Silva, J., Ulloa-Gutierrez, R., Ivankovich-Escoto, G., Yamazaki-Nakashimada, M. A., Faugier-Fuentes, E., Del Águila, O., Camacho-Moreno, G., Estripeaut, D., Gutiérrez, I. F., Castillo-Bustamante, D., Luciani, K., Fabi, M., Espada, G., Álvarez-Olmos, M. I., Silfa, C., Pérez-Camacho, P., Duarte-Passos, S., Cervi, M. C., Martínez-Ramírez, R. O., Cantillano, E. M., … REKAMLATINA-3 MIS-C Study Group Investigators (2024). Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children across 16 Latin American countries: A multicenter study from the REKAMLATINA Network. IJID regions, 12, 100419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijregi.2024.100419
González-Mata A et al. Origin and importance of the Latin American Kawasaki Disease Network (REKAMLATINA). Rev Chilena Infectol. 2014 Jun;31(3):330-2. doi:
10.4067/S0716-10182014000300012. PMID: 25230297
Moreno E et al. Presentation and Outcomes of Kawasaki Disease in Latin American Infants Younger Than 6 Months of Age: A Multinational Multicenter Study of the REKAMLATINA Network. Front Pediatr. 2020 Aug 21;8:384. doi:
10.3389/fped.2020.00384. PMID: 32984203 Free PMC article.
Ronan, V., & Kane, J. M. (2024). The Importance of Differentiating MIS-C From Other Hyperinflammatory Conditions. Pediatrics, 154(6), e2024068657.
https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2024-068657
Ulloa-Gutierrez R et al. Multicenter retrospective study about the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of Kawasaki disease in children from Panama. Rev Chilena Infectol. 2021 Apr;38(2):149-156. doi:
10.4067/S0716-10182021000200149. PMID: 33844807
Ulloa-Gutierrez R et al. Kawasaki Disease in Latin American Children: Past, Current, and Future Challenges. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2014 Dec;3(4):280-1. doi:
10.1093/jpids/piu105. PMID: 26625447
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Please contact:
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Dr. Adriana Tremoulet at atremoulet@health.ucsd.eduUlloa-Gutierrez
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Dr. Rolando at rolandoug@rasca.co.cr.
Co-founders
Rolando Ulloa-Gutierrez and Adriana Tremoulet​
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