Monday 1 September 2014 2:08pm
Professor Michael Baker is leading an investigation into the causes of rheumatic fever.
“Rheumatic fever is a mysterious disease. We don't really know much more than we did in the 1950s about its causes – in particular, why most people with a strep sore throat get over the infection, and only a tiny fraction develop acute rheumatic fever and chronic rheumatic heart disease that kills about 150 New Zealanders a year. Our aim is to fill some of these knowledge gaps which currently limit our ability to develop and implement effective interventions.”
The rising incidence of rheumatic fever in New Zealand, particularly in Māori and Pacific children, is another big mystery, Professor Baker says.
The study will commence in Auckland following 200 participants with rheumatic fever, and 400 healthy children.
Read more about the study:
- Study on causes of rheumatic fever gets underway in Auckland 1 September 2014, University of Otago media release
- Rheumatic fever research programme
