Rheumatic fever is a secondary illness that begins about 2-3 weeks after tonsillitis has been overcome. Typical symptoms are fever, painful swelling of the joints and inflammation of the heart (myocarditis, endocarditis). The cause is a bacterial infection with Streptococci, against which the body produces antibodies. These defence substances also mistakenly attack the body's own tissue, especially the surface of joints or the inner wall of the heart (endocardium), due to their similarity to tissue.
