Paediatric acute rheumatic fever in developed countries: Neglected or negligible disease? Results from an observational study in Lombardy (Italy)

Introduction: Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) is a multisystemic disease that results from an autoimmune reaction due to group A streptococcal infection. The disease affects predominantly children aged 5 to 15 years and although its incidence in developed Countries declined since the early 1900s, to date there is a paucity of data that confirm this epidemiological trend. Objective: The study aimed to assess the burden of ARF in term of hospitalization and to describe the characteristics of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) in the paediatric population of Lombardy. Study design: The study was carried out by analyzing hospital discharge records of patients resident of Lombardy and aged 0–17 years old w…