The Sore throat treated today could become the heart disease of tomorrow
In 1939, a sore throat was first linked to a disease of the heart valve, as described by Raymond Vises in the early 18th century. The offender? Group A betahemolytic Streptococcus pyogenes (GABHS) “bacteria” that sometimes reside in the nose and throat.
Many persons have streptococci but not all develop the symptoms of RF or RHD. The most popular theory is that certain strains of GABHS with a particular serotype are capable of triggering rheumatic fever in a genetically susceptible host as part of the streptococcal infection.
School-age children are affected primarily by rheumatic fever. Children of these ages develop four to six upper-respiratory tract infections every year, mostly viral in origin. However, there is a 20-percent incidence of sore-throat infections caused by GABHS. Particular forms of GABHS may initiate rheumatic fever in genetically predisposed individuals.