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Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology
Rheumatic Fever
1997 Case Definition
Rheumatic Fever
1997 Case Definition
1997 Case Definition
Clinical Description
An inflammatory illness that occurs as a delayed sequela of group A streptococcal infection
Major criteria: carditis, polyarthritis, chorea, subcutaneous nodules, and erythema marginatum
Minor criteria: a) previous rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease; b) arthralgia; c) fever; d) elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, positive C-reactive protein, or leukocytosis; and e) prolonged PR interval on an electrocardiogram
Laboratory Criteria For Diagnosis
No specific laboratory test exists for the diagnosis of rheumatic fever
Case Classification
Confirmed
An illness characterized by a) two major criteria or one major and two minor criteria (as described in Clinical Description) and b) supporting evidence of preceding group A streptococcal infection.1
Comments
Supporting evidence to confirm streptococcal infection includes increased antistreptolysin-O or other streptococcal antibodies, throat culture positive for group A streptococcus, or recent scarlet fever. The absence of supporting evidence of preceding streptococcal infection should make the diagnosis doubtful, except in Sydenham chorea or low-grade carditis when rheumatic fever is first discovered after a long latent period from the antecedent infection.
The 1997 case definition appearing on this page was previously published in the 1990 MMWR Recommendations and Reports titled Case Definitions for Public Health Surveillance.2 Thus, the 1990 and 1997 versions of the case definition are identical.
References
- American Heart Association. Jones criteria (revised) for guidance in the diagnosis of rheumatic fever. Circulation 1984;69:204A-8A.
- CDC. (1990). Case Definitions for Public Health Surveillance. MMWR, 39(RR-13), 1-43. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00025629.htm