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.

Rhythm important for correct development of baby hearts

To develop correctly, baby hearts need rhythm...even before they have blood to pump.

19 Feb 2014

Health officials discuss new strategies to prevent rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease

Today, at the World Health Assembly, top health officials from New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Fiji and Rwanda met to discuss the vital need for countries to integrate rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease prevention and control into national action plans.

23 May 2013

World Heart Federation publishes position statement on rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease

The World Heart Federation has published a new position statement outlining the five key strategic targets required to meet its strategic goal for rheumatic heart disease - a 25% reduction in premature deaths from rheumatic fever and RHD among individuals aged <25 years by the year 2025.

9 Apr 2013

Griffith University's Institute for Glycomics launches human trials for Streptococcus A vaccine

Griffith University's Institute for Glycomics has launched human trials for a vaccine against Streptococcus A, the germ that causes rheumatic fever.

1 Mar 2013

FDA clears Meridian Bioscience’s new illumigene Group A Strep test

Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio today announced that it has received FDA clearance for a new molecular diagnostic test for Group A Streptococcus on the illumigene platform.

18 Sep 2012

Strep throat should be treated with penicillin or amoxicillin: IDSA guidelines

Although people often say they have "strep" throat, most sore throats actually are caused by a virus, not streptococcus bacteria, and shouldn't be treated with antibiotics, suggest guidelines published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses.

11 Sep 2012

Data from 2 new studies on RHD presented at World Congress of Cardiology

Widespread screening of children in poorer countries is now being studied and is resulting in the diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in patients that would likely have gone undetected under normal circumstances, according to two new studies carried out in Fiji and Uganda presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology.

23 Apr 2012

Study finds under-treatment of RHD in India, Africa

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is significantly under-treated in Africa and India according to the preliminary findings of a new global study presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology.

21 Apr 2012

RHD patients seek treatment in the very late stages of disease

Patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are being admitted to hospital too late to prevent the need for heart surgery, according to a new study carried out by doctors in Yemen and presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology.

20 Apr 2012

New guidelines for detection of rheumatic heart disease

The inaugural international guidelines for the diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease (RHD), a disease that affects tens of millions of people worldwide, have today been published by the World Heart Federation in Nature Reviews Cardiology.

28 Feb 2012

University of Cape Town, UT Southwestern sign affiliation agreement

UT Southwestern Medical Center and the faculty of health sciences of the University of Cape Town in South Africa, signed a five-year affiliation agreement today to collaborate on faculty and student exchanges, joint research and training activities and other educational opportunities.

13 Oct 2011

Stony Brook University opens new center to treat valvular heart disease

Stony Brook University Medical Center has opened a new Valve Center that offers comprehensive treatment of valvular heart disease.

27 Sep 2011

Vaxent, PREVENT sign license agreement to develop and commercialize Strep-A vaccine

An international collaboration between Vaxent, a Memphis-based early stage vaccine development company in the Memphis Bioworks Foundation Incubator, and The Pan-Provincial Vaccine Enterprise Inc. (PREVENT), a Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) in Saskatchewan, has put a vaccine for group A streptococcus (Strep-A) back on the path for potential commercialization.

26 Sep 2011

Insight into how bacterial toxins cause human diseases may help improve treatment

A better understanding of how bacterial toxins cause common human diseases may lead to their improved treatment and prevention according to a paper just published by Irish and US scientists in Nature Reviews Microbiology.

25 Aug 2011

U-M's CoreValve trial to offer less invasive approach for patients with aortic stenosis

The University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center, a leader in heart valve replacement, will participate in a national clinical trial to offer patients a less invasive approach to replacing diseased aortic valves.

14 Mar 2011

U-M participates in national trial for alternative approach to open heart surgery for severe aortic stenosis

10 Mar 2011

Report finds neglected diseases research funding up in 2009, funding for related non-profits down

"A rise in global funding for research into neglected diseases needs to be matched by a continued focus on delivering practical new ways to curb sickness in the developing world," according to the third annual report by the Global Funding of Innovation for Neglected Diseases released on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

18 Feb 2011

Drugs against protective action of bacteria's antitoxin molecules

Bacteria often attack with toxins designed to hijack or even kill host cells. To avoid self-destruction, bacteria have ways of protecting themselves from their own toxins.

9 Feb 2011

Australian scientists uncover the secrets behind one of nature’s most extraordinary biological machines

Scientists from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI), Sydney, have discovered the secrets behind the tiny motors in bacteria that allow them to swim rapidly towards nutrients and away from toxins, which is crucial to the spread of bacterial infection. These motors can rotate at up to 100,000 revolutions per minute, yet can switch directions in milliseconds.

1 Aug 2010

Gene study provides new clues to fight infections

Investigators at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute in Houston examined for the first time the long-term response to strep throat on a genome-wide level, shedding light on how group A streptococcus interacts with the patient's immune system and attempts to circumvent it.

23 Feb 2010