Rheumatism Epidemic

Epidemic rheumatism is an acute, extremely dangerous infectious arthritis that develops mainly in children. Along with pharyngitis and pleurisy, it is the most common manifestation of Burnett's disease. In epidemic rheumatism, the inflammatory process involves joints and organs that do not directly participate in a person’s motor function, which is its characteristic difference from classic rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatoid attack). This difference is due to the fact that during epid. In rheumatism, symptoms and defects of the heart valves or joints occur (as in the case of Marfa disease) and at the same time other symptoms occur that affect the heart muscles.

The causative agent of the disease is Bortiella spirochete (the causative agent of relapsing fever), of the larch chlamydia family. Damage due to some infectious diseases is also possible. Sometimes the disease is caused by banal chlamydia, but the true etiology is almost impossible to determine, especially if the infection is asymptomatic. Symptoms of epidemic rheumatism: the onset of the disease is acute, the first signs may be laryngitis, severe pain in muscles and joints, headache, high body temperature for several days. During the first 48 hours, pneumonia develops with dry wheezing, then patients complain of fever and pain in the liver. However, the most important symptom is relapsing fever.