HOLLY SANTMAN

Rheumatic Fever is an inflammatory disease that develops out of an inadequately treated case of strep throat or scarlet fever. It can lead to permanent damage including damage in the heart valves and heart failure.

Rheumatic Fever is most common in 5-15 year olds but can develop in younger children and adults. It is rare in the U.S. and other developed countries, but is common in developing countries. Some risk factors include having a family history of the fever, environmental factors, and the type of strep bacteria the child is infected with.

Rheumatic Fever develops after an infection of the throat by the bacteria known as Group A streptococcus which is the cause of strep throat and scarlet fever.

The Group A streptococcus bacterium plays tricks on the immune system because the bacterium contains a protein similar to on in the tissues of the heart, joints, and skin/central nervous system. This causes the immune system cells to treat the body's own proteins as infectious and will destroy them.

Some people have many symptoms of the fever, while others have very few. Symptoms include fever, pain in the joints, swollen joints, painless nodules beneath the skin, chest pain, heart murmurs, fatigue, painless rash, uncontrollable movements and outbursts of unusual behavior.

The inflammation of the throat can lead to long-term problems. Rheumatic fever can lead to Rheumatic Heart Disease and problems with the valve between the two left chambers of the heart. It can lead to valve stenosis, valve regurgitation and damage to the heart. Other long-term problems can lead to atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

Treatment includes being given antibiotics such as penicillin to get rid of the infection. After the patient has taken all of those antibiotics, they have to take another antibiotic to prevent the infection until they are at least 21 years old (if they were 5 when they got the infection). Some may have to take preventive antibiotics for life.

To prevent rheumatic fever, one has to completely treat strep and scarlet fever infections, because rheumatic fever develops with an inadequate amount of treatment of those diseases.

Rheumatic Fever causes a temporary nervous system disorder called chorea. It is characterized by jerky, uncontrollable movements and is closely associated with rheumatic fever. Mild cases include difficulty concentrating or writing. Severe cases cause the muscles of the legs, arms and face to twitch uncontrollably.