In a recent publication1 the Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease Study Group has reviewed the current status of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. This review, which should be must reading for all physicians who care for children, emphasizes the persistent significance of the disease and describes in systematic fashion various community approaches to its control.
It is first pointed out by the authors that rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease remain numerically significant problems. Approximately 100,000 new cases are recognized each year, and in 1968 16,000 deaths were recorded as due to rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease. The cost of physicians' visits alone for rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in 1968 approximated 28 million dollars.
Rheumatic heart disease: A review of the current status of global research activity