rheumatic heart disease

Menzies researchers are playing a vital role in controlling the spread of a debilitating and sometimes fatal heart condition both at home and on the international front.

Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) is the most common heart disease among children and young adults globally. It is almost exclusively found in developing countries and other poor populations. This includes the Australian Indigenous population and countries of the Pacific region, where a significant amount of Menzies RHD research is taking place.

Over-crowded housing common in developing countries and Indigenous communities is an important risk factor for RHD. Children living closely together are far more likely to become infected by the Group A streptococcus bacterium that leads to acute rheumatic fever (ARF), which is the precursor to RHD. ARF causes great pain and distress and acutely affects the joints, brain, heart and skin.

Repeated attacks of ARF can result in lasting damage to the heart (RHD) which can cause life-long disability and premature death.

But this disease is entirely preventable if children and young people are diagnosed early and treated with regular doses of penicillin to prevent subsequent attacks of ARF. Director of Menzies, Professor Jonathan Carapetis, is a leading figure in research into RHD and chairs the Geneva-based World Heart Federations (WHF) Rheumatic Fever Council. Prof Carapetis and his team have been coordinating efforts in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, as well as here at home in Australia, to identify and control the spread of rheumatic fever.

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