rheumatic fever

noun

: an acute disease that occurs chiefly in children and adolescents following inadequately treated Group A streptococcal infection of the upper respiratory tract (such as in strep throat) and is characterized by fever, by inflammation and pain in and around the joints, and by inflammatory involvement of the pericardium and heart valves

Examples of rheumatic fever in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Richard says she was diagnosed in 2010 with anemia, a low white blood cell count and arthralgia, or joint stiffness caused by overuse, sprains and infections such as rheumatic fever and chickenpox. —Ayana Archie, NPR, 12 Sep. 2024

Left untreated, strep can turn into the full-body infection known as rheumatic fever, and the bacteria can then damage the heart. —Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2023

This is a menace of many masks — among them strep throat, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, toxic shock syndrome and flesh-eating disease. —Christian Millman, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2018

Wracked by chronic asthmatic bronchitis and rheumatic fever, he was forced to spend entire winters indoors. —Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 22 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1726, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

rheumatic fever

noun

: a disease especially of young people that is characterized by fever, by inflammation and pain in and around the joints, and by inflammation of the membranes surrounding the heart and the heart valves

Medical Definition

rheumatic fever

noun

: an acute often recurrent disease that occurs chiefly in children and adolescents following Group A streptococcal infection of the upper respiratory tract (as in strep throat) and is characterized by fever, inflammation, pain, and swelling in and around the joints, inflammatory involvement of the pericardium and valves of the heart, and often the formation of small nodules chiefly in the subcutaneous tissues and the heart