To study the incidence of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and its epidemiologic features and the prevalence rate of rheumatic heart disease in west area of Sichuan province.
By using disease surveillance program, an epidemiologic investigation of ARF was performed from June 1992 to June 1995 and an annual screening survey was carried out among 46,595 students aged 5-18 in 1993 and 1994.
The annual incidence of ARF was 12.87 per 10(5), there was no difference between the rural area and the urban area. ARF was found to be more frequent in students aged 9-15 years and in autumn and winter. All of the ARF patients had rheumatis and 83.3% of the cases were accompanied with heart lesion. The prevalence rate of rheumatic heart disease was 11 per thousand.
The long-term monitoring of epidemiologic trend and community-based controls of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease among students aged 5-18 are necessary and effective.