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Research

Primary prevention of acute rheumatic fever

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is an abnormal immune reaction following Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) infection of the throat, and likely the skin. Primary prevention is the prompt and appropriate antibiotic treatment of Strep A infection, and it can reduce the risk of developing ARF and subsequent rheumatic heart disease.

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Controlling acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in developing countries: Are we getting closer?

Improved opportunities for the primary prevention of ARF now exist, because of point-of-care antigen tests for Streptococcus pyogenes, and clinical decision...

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Prevalence of rheumatic heart disease in young adults from New Caledonia

The prevalence of echocardiographically diagnosed RHD in adults in New Caledonia is estimated at 5.9 per 1000

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Susceptibility to acute rheumatic fever based on differential expression of genes involved in cytotoxicity, chemotaxis, and apoptosis

Differences in the immune response, detectable by gene expression, between individuals who are susceptible to ARF and those who are not

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Echocardiographic screening in a resource poor setting: Borderline rheumatic heart disease could be a normal variant

Cross-sectional observational study across ten primary schools in Fiji in school children aged 5-14 years.

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Echocardiographic screening for rheumatic heart disease in high and low risk Australian children

We aimed to establish the prevalence of RHD in high-risk Indigenous Australian children using these criteria and to compare the findings with a group of...

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Benzathine penicillin G for the management of RHD: Concerns about quality and access, and opportunities for intervention and improvement

Benzathine penicillin G is an important antibiotic for the treatment and prevention of group A streptococcal infections associated with rheumatic fever and...

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A conceptual framework for comprehensive rheumatic heart disease control programs

The World Health Organization, World Heart Federation, and other organizations recommend comprehensive control programs for rheumatic fever (RF) and...

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Prevention of rheumatic fever and heart disease: Nepalese experience

Historically, many young people suffered severe valvular disease and died awaiting heart valve replacement.

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Continued challenge of rheumatic heart disease: The gap of understanding or the gap of implementation?

We still do not have a RF vaccine, although the recent announcement that the Australian and New Zealand governments are jointly sponsoring a program to fast...