Study finds link between genetic makeup, rheumatic heart disease
A new study led by scientists at Oxford University have found the link between strep throat and rheumatic heart disease could be dependent on a patient’s genetic makeup, not just how quickly they receive antibiotics, reports the New York Times.
The new findings could help find a vaccine for Group A streptococcus bacteria, which is responsible for strep, scarlet fever and rheumatic heart disease.
In poorer countries, more than 230,000 people die of rheumatic heart disease every year. The study, published in Nature Communications, was conducted in Fiji, New Caledonia and other South Pacific islands because the disease is rampant there.
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