Rheumatic Fever

Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, typically developing two to four weeks after a streptococcal throat infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful joints, involuntary muscle movements, and occasionally a characteristic non-itchy rash known as erythema marginatum. The heart is involved in about half of cases, and damage to the heart valves, known as rheumatic heart disease, usually occurs after repeated attacks but can sometimes occur after one. The damaged valves may result in heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and infection of the valves.