Throat infection which is caused by a specific type of bacteria (streptococcus) in school children leads to a development of disease called Rheumatic Fever. During an epidemic of streptococcal throat infection in about 3% of children may develop acute rheumatic fever within two weeks of infection, rheumatic fever manifest as fever, pain and swelling of multiple major joints (shoulders, elbows, wrist, hips, knees, ankles) involving movements called (chorea) red patches over skin and small nodules underneath the skin . About half of the children affected with this disease will have the involvement of heart in a form of inflammation (carditis). As a result of the carditis these children are likely to develop abnormality of heart. In this disease the heart valves gets narrow in the form of narrowing example (mitralstenosis narrowing of the valve between the two chambers, left atrium, and left ventricle) or improper closure of valves leading to accumulation of blood from one chamber to another many times these abnormalities are mild, however severe forms of valve disease can produce troublesome symptoms like breathing difficulty, palpitation, swelling of feet etc) and disability advances in the field of surgery and non-surgical technique has resulted in the very bright future of these patient more important than the fact that the effective treatment is available those who are suffering from established rheumatic valvular heart disease is the reality that this disease is preventable. As this disease is secondary to simple bacterial infection, prevention and treatment of such an infection can prevent an episode of rheumatic fever. Good environmental conditions, healthy hygienic care of children etc can prevent the infection to greater extent even if throat infection develops, if it can be taken care immediately with simple antibiotic course then occurrence of rheumatic fever can be prevented. Once the rheumatic fever has occurred then its reoccurrence has to be prevented by regular periodic intake of antibiotics like penicillin. Vaccines should be used to prevent the development of this disease are also being evaluated. These are several incidences which indicate that occurrence of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease has dropped rapidly.
