​As the country marks Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease Awareness Week from 1 – 7 August, the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) wishes to educate and make the public aware of the problems of Rheumatic Fever, the common causes, risks, complications, management and prevention. 
Rheumatic heart disease is a chronic condition that results from rheumatic fever, causing permanent damage to the heart valves. The inflammation caused by the rheumatic fever can lead to scarring of the heart valves, which can result in narrowing (stenosis) or leaking (regurgitation) of the valves. Over time, this can lead to serious heart complications, including heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke.
Although there is no cure for rheumatic heart disease and the damage to the heart valves is permanent, it is important for the public to know that the disease can be averted by preventing rheumatic fever from occurring. 
Rheumatic heart disease starts as a sore throat from a bacterium called Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus) which can pass easily from one person to another, in the same way as other upper respiratory tract infections. Strep infections are most common in childhood. Treatment of strep throat with appropriate antibiotics will prevent rheumatic fever. 
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Rheumatic heart disease is the most commonly acquired heart disease in people under age 25. It claims over 288 348 lives each year, the large majority of which are in low and middle-income countries. People who live in overcrowded and poor conditions are at greatest risk of developing the disease. 
Symptoms of Rheumatic fever include fever, painful joints especially knees ankles, elbows and wrists pain that moves between different joints, fatigue, jerky uncontrollable body movements called 'chorea', painless nodules under the skin near joints and/or a rash consisting of pink rings with a clear centre (both rare), and heart murmur. 
On the other hand, symptoms of the heart valve damage that are associated with Rheumatic heart disease may include chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, swelling of the stomach, hands or feet, fatigue and rapid or irregular heartbeat. 
While the disease is not prevalent in South Africa, a large proportion of those suffering Rheumatic heart disease in low or middle-income countries are not diagnosed or are diagnosed at a late stage when damage to the heart is very severe. 
It is important that those experiencing Rheumatic fever symptoms to seek immediate medical care so that measures to stop the progression to severe rheumatic heart disease be implemented as it requires long-term treatments.