How common is rheumatic fever?
Before the widespread introduction of antibiotics, rheumatic fever was one of the leading causes of acquired heart disease in the UK. Now, due to antibiotics and an increase in levels of public sanitation and living standards (poor sanitation and over-crowding are major risk factors for streptococcal throat infection), the condition is rare. Rheumatic fever remains a widespread condition in other parts of the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, south central Asia, and the indigenous population of Australia and New Zealand (the Aborigine and Maori communities). The majority of cases of rheumatic fever affect children aged 5–15. Adults make up 20% of cases. The condition affects both sexes equally, though girls and women tend to have more severe symptoms.
