Congenital Heart Disease

I think heart disease may be killing more kids at Tenwek these days than Malaria. Rheumatic heart disease is practically unseen in the US since the common strep throat is treated so effectively. This rare strep complication is common here and leaves little that can be done to stop it. There is a Peds cardiac surgery team that comes to Tenwek twice a year from Vanderbilt performing more surgeries per year than are done in the rest of the country. Still, the pediatrician here wishes for a strep vaccine that would wipe out RHD.