Rheumatic Fever News and Research

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Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that may develop two to three weeks after a Group A streptococcal infection (such as strep throat or scarlet fever). It is believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity and can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain.

New vaccine against Strep A could drastically cut antibiotic use for sore throats, study suggests

Study predicts that a vaccine against group A Streptococcus (Strep A) could significantly reduce antibiotic prescriptions for sore throat, potentially leading to a 33% decrease in global antibiotic use for this condition.

14 Nov 2023

How strep bacteria outsmart your immune system and why it matters for treatment

Researchers discover that Group A streptococcal infections alter immunoglobulin G (IgG) homeostasis to evade the immune system, affecting the transition from local to systemic infections. The study also raises concerns about the effectiveness of antibody-based therapies, as the bacteria's virulence factors can degrade therapeutic antibodies.

25 Oct 2023

New nasal vaccine shows promise in preventing deadly Strep A infections

As Streptococcus A cases continue to be prevalent in Queensland and internationally, a new nasal vaccine could provide long-term protection from the deadly bacteria.

4 Oct 2023

ChatGPT shows promise in supporting doctors in emergency medicine

The artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT performed as well as a trained doctor in suggesting likely diagnoses for patients being assessed in emergency medicine departments, in a pilot study to be presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress, which starts on Saturday.

13 Sep 2023

Strep A infections on the rise among Australians, study finds

Australia has experienced an intense surge in severe Strep A cases, similar to the northern hemisphere wave, despite differences in seasons and circulating respiratory viruses, according to a new study.

22 Aug 2023

Collaborative network wins $8 million grant to identify biomarkers for acute rheumatic fever

A collaborative network led by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has received an $8 million grant from the Leducq Foundation to fund a project that will look to identify and validate biomarkers for acute rheumatic fever (ARF).

19 Sep 2022

Household overcrowding found to be a major risk factor for acute rheumatic fever and strep skin

Research led by the University of Otago in New Zealand has uncovered the strongest evidence yet that household overcrowding is a major risk factor for acute rheumatic fever and streptococcal infections of the skin.

7 Jul 2022

Exploring changes in non-COVID-19 hospitalization rates before and during COVID-19

Researchers assessed the trends in non-COVID-19 hospitalizations before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States between 2017 and 2021.

2 May 2022

Oral penicillin may be a safer option for people with high-risk rheumatic heart disease

A growing body of evidence indicates that some people thought to have an allergic response to injectable penicillin, the standard treatment for rheumatic heart disease, may instead be experiencing a cardiac reaction to the medicine, according to a new American Heart Association presidential advisory published today in Journal of the American Heart Association.

19 Jan 2022

Research finds quick recovery of heart function in children with COVID-19-related MIS-C

Heart function recovery returned within three months in children who developed COVID-19-related multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

19 Jan 2022

Formal health care transition programs needed to provide uninterrupted support for youth with Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease is the most common cause of acquired heart disease that develops in early childhood, creating inflammation in blood vessels, particularly heart arteries.

11 Oct 2021

Experts offer guidance on diagnosis and treatment of myocarditis in children

Myocarditis in children is a rare yet challenging condition to treat. Diagnosis and treatment includes multiple options, and many cases of myocarditis resolve on their own, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association, "Diagnosis and Management of Myocarditis in Children," published today in Circulation, the Association's flagship journal.

7 Jul 2021

Investment in primary prevention can reduce rheumatic heart disease in the African Union

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a major cause of cardiovascular disease in Africa, even as acute rheumatic fever and RHD have become rare in high-income countries.

12 May 2021

New model could help test vaccines against the deadly Strep A bacteria

Researchers have successfully developed a new Strep A human challenge model, paving the way to test vaccines against the common deadly bacteria that causes sore throats, scarlet fever and skin sores.

10 May 2021

COVID-19 may impact the heart health of young, healthy adults

New research published in Experimental Physiology highlight the possible long term health impacts of COVID-19 on young, relatively healthy adults who were not hospitalized and who only had minor symptoms due to the virus.

7 May 2021

Maintenance of good oral health may help prevent heart infection caused by mouth bacteria

Maintenance of good oral health is more important than use of antibiotics in dental procedures for some heart patients to prevent a heart infection caused by bacteria around the teeth, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the association's flagship journal, Circulation.

15 Apr 2021

Coronavirus deranges the immune system in complex and deadly ways

There's a reason soldiers go through basic training before heading into combat: Without careful instruction, green recruits armed with powerful weapons could be as dangerous to one another as to the enemy.

4 Mar 2021

Aspirin to be tested as a potential COVID-19 treatment as part of RECOVERY trial

Now, in new research, the everyday painkiller aspirin will be evaluated as a potential treatment for COVID-19 in one of the United Kingdom’s most significant trials, aiming to evaluate whether it can reduce the risk of blood clots in infected people.

9 Nov 2020

Medieval medicine to tackle antibiotic resistance

Biofilm-associated infections are notoriously difficult to treat, and they also play a role in antibiotic resistance as more antimicrobials are urgently needed to treat biofilm-associated infections. These biofilms act as protective layers that prevent the antibiotics from reaching and destroying the targeted bacteria.

29 Jul 2020

Analysis: When is a coronavirus test not a coronavirus test?

Desperate to continue the tradition of a family beach week, I hatched a plan that would allow some mask- and sanitizer-enhanced semblance of normality.