An outbreak of 30 cases of Kawasaki syndrome (KS) occurred in Maryland from January through May 1983. The mean age of patients was 27 months; 60% were male. Rug shampoo exposure within one month and within six months of illness was not significantly greater in the 30 epidemic and seven sporadic cases than in their neighborhood and pediatric controls. These findings suggest that rug shampoo exposure may not be an important risk factor in the outbreak of KS in Maryland.