New research has found a strong link between strep skin infections and rheumatic fever.
University of Otago researchers investigated how streptococcal infections of the throat and skin are the first steps of a "disease pathway" that ends in contracting the inflammatory disease.
This research adds to other data about strep skin triggering rheumatic fever, which in turn can cause heart disease.
Otago University Department of Public Health senior research fellow and co-author of the study Dr Julie Bennett spoke to Corin Dann.
