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Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory illness that results from an untreated streptococcal (strep) infection, including strep throat or scarlet fever. A strain of strep produces an immune response in your body, causing inflammation in your heart, joints, central nervous system or skin, leading to rheumatic fever.
Rheumatic fever can be prevented by treating a strep infection with the appropriate antibiotics. More people had rheumatic fever before the use of antibiotics. Although rheumatic fever can occur at any age, most cases occur in children 5 to 15 years old. Rheumatic fever may recur or could cause serious heart conditions in adults who had the condition as a child.
Some children who have rheumatic fever have heart inflammation, which can affect their heart valves (heart valve disease) and heart muscle (myocarditis). Sometimes rheumatic fever can result in congestive heart failure or death. You or your child may recover from the original heart inflammation, but still may have heart valve problems or permanent heart damage.
Mayo Clinic doctors who have training in treating children who have heart disease (pediatric cardiologists) work together as a team with other specialists to treat children who have rheumatic fever. Mayo Clinic doctors have treated heart disease in children for more than 50 years. Mayo Clinic cardiologists also treat all types of heart disease in adults.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked among the Best Hospitals for heart and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic also ranks among the Best Children's Hospitals for heart and heart surgery.
Read more about rheumatic fever at MayoClinic.com.
Related book: Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart for Life! book provides an easy-to-follow plan to prevent and conquer heart disease.
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