Acute rheumatic fever: altering the long-term trajectory

As a result of historical and ongoing challenges, including the impacts of colonisation and disparities in healthcare access, acute rheumatic fever (ARF) in Australia is more commonly diagnosed in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children than in non-Indigenous children. Early recognition and treatment of group A streptococcus pharyngitis and impetigo, which can lead to ARF, can markedly reduce the risk of rheumatic heart disease, especially among this high-risk population.