Rheumatic fever: a recurring problem in NT
18 July 2003
Almost half of all cases of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) in the Northern Territory are recurrences, a new report has found.
Since November 14 last year, 40 cases of ARF have been notified to the Rheumatic Heart Disease register at the Territory's Centre for Disease Control. Of these, 48 per cent were recurrences.
'This is obviously a worrying trend as recurrences of ARF are almost entirely preventable and may lead to further potentially debilitating heart disease,' the author wrote (NT Disease Control Bulletin 2003; 10: 9-11).
(Rheumatic fever is caused by infection with the Streptococcus bacterium which enters the bloodstream from infected sores or tonsils. It occurs mainly in children and young adults and may affect the heart valves, heart muscle and its lining, the joints and the brain. It can result in long-term effects such as heart disease. Rheumatic fever is rare among the Australian population overall, but the incidence among indigenous Australians living in remote areas is very high.)
Last Reviewed: 21 July 2003
- 1. Medical Observer Weekly 18/7/03
