What is the cause of rheumatic fever?

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Multiple Choice

What is the cause of rheumatic fever?

Rheumatic fever is an autoimmune reaction that follows an infection with group A Streptococcus. After a strep throat, the immune system makes antibodies against the bacteria, but some bacterial antigens resemble proteins in the heart and other tissues. Those antibodies cross-react and trigger inflammation in the heart valves and other tissues, leading to carditis, arthritis, chorea, and skin manifestations. This autoimmune process explains why rheumatic fever occurs after a streptococcal infection rather than after viral, fungal, or parasitic illnesses. There’s usually a short delay of a couple of weeks between the strep infection and the onset of symptoms, and treating the initial infection with antibiotics helps prevent this sequence.

Rheumatic fever is an autoimmune reaction that follows an infection with group A Streptococcus. After a strep throat, the immune system makes antibodies against the bacteria, but some bacterial antigens resemble proteins in the heart and other tissues. Those antibodies cross-react and trigger inflammation in the heart valves and other tissues, leading to carditis, arthritis, chorea, and skin manifestations. This autoimmune process explains why rheumatic fever occurs after a streptococcal infection rather than after viral, fungal, or parasitic illnesses. There’s usually a short delay of a couple of weeks between the strep infection and the onset of symptoms, and treating the initial infection with antibiotics helps prevent this sequence.

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