Increase in Strep Throat and Rheumatic Fever (May 21, 1998)
The State Health Department is investigating, what appears to be a dramatic increase, in Group-A Strep infections. Science Specialist Ed Yeates, is live from Primary Children's Hospital which is treating the by-product of those infections: Rheumatic Fever!
If the caseload here continues as it is now, by the end of the year Primary Children's could break its record when it treated 60 cases of Rheumatic Fever back in the mid 1980's.
9-year-old Chelsea Rae Adams was out of school for about a month while doctors evaluated the damage to her heart valves from Rheumatic Fever. Fortunately she had only a moderate murmur, the sound the heart makes when the valves leak. She'll fully recover. But she'll now have to take pencillin every day for the next ten years to ward off any more strep infections.
VIRGINIA ADAMS, CHELSEA'S MOTHER: "I WAS SHOCKED. I WAS HORRIFIED. I THOUGHT RHEUMATIC FEVER WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS IN OUR PAST, VERY RARE."
Virginia Adams is not alone. Other parents are surprised to see what appears to be a resurgence of Rheumatic Fever again.
RAY ADAMS, CHELSEA'S FATHER: THEY IMMEDIATELY TOOK HER OUT OF SCHOOL AND HAD HER STAY DOWN - WOULDN'T EVEN ALLOW HER TO WALK UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS FOR ABOUT A MONTH."
Chelsea is one of about 30 patients Primary Children's has treated since the beginning of this year, and cases continue coming in.
JOHN CHRISTENSON, M.D., U OF U PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES: "RIGHT NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE THE DIVISION OF CARDIOLOGY HERE AT PRIMARY IS EVALUATING ABOUT TWO TO THREE CASES OF RHEUMATIC FEVER PER WEEK."
The villain is a particular strain of Group-A streptococcus bacteria. Pathologists recognize it because it looks like slime. School age children are highest at risk. It usually brings on a sore throat - the most noticeable sign the bug has invaded the body. But in Chelsea's case, there was NO sore throat.
"WE DECIDED IT WAS JUST THE FLU AND THEN ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THAT, THE LEFT SIDE OF HER FOOT, THE BALL OF HER FOOT SWELLED UP AND WAS VERY, VERY TENDER."
"REALLY BAD. I COULDN'T WALK ON IT. COULDN'T WALK ON IT? I HAD TO HOP."
Doctors here at Primary Children's Hospital are working with State Health right now - hoping to do some widespread throat swabs in the community to see if Group-A strep is up to its old tricks again.
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