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March 29, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"DNA May Lead to Rheumatic Fever Vaccine"

United Press International (www.upi.com) (03/25/02)

The DNA sequence of the group A strep strain, which is the main cause of rheumatic fever and leads to heart disease in children, was solved by James M. Musser of the Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis and his team of colleagues.  The DNA sequence will help researchers find new vaccines to prevent rheumatic fever, says Musser.  Although rheumatic fever was greatly reduced with the introduction of antibiotics, Musser points to an altered strain, M18, causing strep without the usual sign of a sore throat that easily developed into rheumatic fever without treatment.  Akron Children's Hospital head of the division of infectious diseases Blaise Congeni believes the rheumatic fever strain has altered itself and is now affecting more affluent populations rather than just populations with lower incomes and less access to healthcare.  The illness causes about 5,000 deaths per year in the United States, and one percent of all school age children in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Mediterranean countries show symptoms of the illness, according to World Health Organization estimations.

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