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Cardiology

Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease

The Australian Jones criteria for high-risk and low-risk groups, benzathine benzylpenicillin prophylaxis and how long to give it, echo diagnosis, and RHD in pregnancy and remote communities.

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At a glance

  • ARF is an autoimmune reaction to group A streptococcal (Strep A) infection of the throat and, in northern Australia, probably the skin. RHD is the valve damage left behind, mostly from recurrent episodes.
  • Australia has some of the highest recorded rates in the world, nearly all in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, along with Māori and Pacific Islander people and migrants from endemic countries. Overcrowded housing and poor access to washing facilities drive transmission.
  • Diagnosis uses the Australian Jones criteria, which are more sensitive for high-risk groups than the international version.

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Last updated
14 November 2026
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