Fact sheets

The Department of Health, Western Australia, does not produce fact sheets on this topic.

Public Health action

Acute rheumatic fever has been notifiable in Western Australia since September 2007.

The Public Health importance of acute rheumatic fever relates to its ability to cause permanent damage to heart valves. Regular, long-term antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent recurrent attacks of acute rheumatic fever is the mainstay of rheumatic heart disease prevention in people who have already had one episode.

• Therapeutic Guidelines: Antibiotic. Therapeutic Guidelines Limited: Melbourne

How to notify

The statutory requirement to notify acute rheumatic fever is specified in Part IXA of the Health Act 1911 and subsidary regulations.

Notifications should be made using the acute rheumatic fever notification form (PDF 190KB)

It is also recommended that any case of acute rheumatic fever (initial, recurrent or suspected) and/or rheumatic heart disease be referred to the Western Australian Rheumatic Heart Disease (WA RHD) Register.

• WA RHD Register referral form (PDF 70KB)
• WA RHD consent form (PDF 48KB)
• Guidelines for RHD severity categories (PDF 91KB)

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Up-to-date rheumatic fever notification data

• General infectious disease reports

For more information

• National Heart Foundation of Australia and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. Diagnosis and management of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in Australia: an evidence-based review. Melbourne NHFA, 2006

• Kimberley Chronic Disease Therapeutic protocols: 
• Acute rheumatic fever (PDF 112KB)
• Rheumatic heart disease (PDF 113KB)

Case definition

Reporting

Only confirmed cases should be notified.

Confirmed case

A confirmed case of acute rheumatic fever is based on a clinical assessment of the patient meeting the Jones criteria for acute rheumatic fever.

Initial episode of acute rheumatic fever:

In a patient with no known past history of acute rheumatic fever,

1.Two major manifestations
OR

2. One major and two minor manifestations
PLUS

3. Evidence of a preceding Group A Streptococcus infection

Recurrent episode of acute rheumatic fever:

In a patient with a past history of acute rheumatic fever,

1. Two major manifestations
OR

2. One major and two minor manifestations
OR

3. Three minor manifestations
PLUS

4. Evidence of a preceding Group A Streptococcus infection

Major manifestations: carditis, polyarthritis, erythema marginatum, subcutaneous nodules, polyarthralgia, aseptic mono-arthrits and chorea.

Minor manifestations: fever, ESR ≥30 mm/hr, prolonged PR interval and CRP ≥30 mg/L.