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A member asked:
Is rheumatic the same as scarlet fever?
6 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
No: Different conditions produced by the same bacteria. Group a strep is a bad actor. Scarlet fever is caused by toxin production by this bug, while rheumatic fever is a reaction of the patient's immune system to infection by the organism. Very different illnesses.
Answered 7/21/2014
5.9k views
No: Both are triggered by the same bacteria GABHS, but are different diseases. Rheumatic fever is caused by the overreaction of the own body's immune system, which may attack it's own structures (like the heart and the joints). Scarlet fever occurs when that bacteria is infected with a virus that causes a toxin which makes the skin red and harsh but it may also cause rheumatic fever as a sequel.
Answered 6/4/2018
2.3k views
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