What is acute rheumatic fever?
Acute rheumatic fever is a disease that affects the body’s connective tissue and central nervous system. It results from a throat or tonsil infection that is caused by group A beta hemolytic streptococci, commonly referred to as “strep throat.” Rheumatic fever is a side effect of the strep infection, not part of the infection itself. Rheumatic fever affects the heart; the joints; the skin, i.e., an unusual rash called erythema marginatum, and subcutaneous nodules, which are small, pea-sized nodules under the skin; or the central nervous system, i.e., Sydenham’s chorea, commonly known as St. Vitus dance. top Common Causes Rheumatic fever is the result of a streptococcal sore throat; therefore, it is important to prevent and/or treat this infection. Usually, antibiotic treatment prevents rheumatic fever. Although the exact way in which rheumatic fever develops is not understood, it is believed that the patient who develops rheumatic fever (about 3% of patients with untreated strep throat
