Prevalence of Rheumatic Heart Disease in North Madagascar: An echocardiographic screening in young and adult populations Cosimo Marco Campanale 1 , Giuseppe Di Gioia 2 , Serena Di Maria 2 , Flavio Marullo 2 , Mario Fittipaldi 3 , Antonio Creta 2 , Simona Mega 2 , Eleonora Cella 4 , Francesca Farchi 5 , Silvia Angeletti 6 , Annunziata Nusca 2 , Massimo Ciccozzi 4 , Germano Di Sciascio 2 , and Giovanni Mottini 7 1. Perinatal Cardiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Neonatology, Pediatric Hospital “Bambino Gesù”, Rome, Italy 2. Department of Medicine and Surgery, Unit of Cardiology, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Rome, Italy 3. Paediatric Cardiac Surgery, Greenlane Paediatric and Congenital Heart Service, Starship Children’s Health, Auckland, New Zealand 4. Department of Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Rome, Italy 5. Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy 6. Unit of Clinical Laboratory Science, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Italy 7. Institute of Philosophy of Scientific and Technological Practise (FAST), Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Rome, Italy 620 [AMJ 2017;10(7):620-627] RESEARCH Please cite this paper as: Campanale CM, Gioia GD, Maria SD, Marullo F, Fittipaldi M, Creta A, Mega S, Cella E, Farchi F, Angeletti S, Nusca A, Ciccozzi M, Sciascio GD, Mottini G. Prevalence of Rheumatic Heart Disease in North Madagascar: An echocardiographic screening in young and adult populations. AMJ 2017;10(7):620–627. https://doi.org/10.21767/AMJ.2017.3047 Corresponding Author: Cosimo Marco Campanale Piazza Sant’Onofrio, 4 - 00165, Roma, Italy Email: cmarco.campanale@opbg.net ABSTRACT Background Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) prevalence in Madagascar is poorly known. Echocardiographic screening detects a higher prevalence of RHD than clinical examination. Aims We aimed to describe RHD prevalence in children and adults in North Madagascar using the most updated World Heart Federation (WHF) criteria for RHD echocardiographic diagnosis. Methods Children aged 5–19 years (Group One) and adults aged more than 20 years (Group Two) underwent a four-steps visit: clinical questionnaire, physical examination, laboratory test - oropharyngeal swab for Group One and Anti- streptolysin O (ASO) titre for Group Two - and echocardiogram using a portable machine.. Results Among 859 people (522 in Group One, 337 in Group Two) RHD prevalence was 2.1 per cent. Group Two had a higher risk of having RHD than Group One (OR 4.39, CI 1.39–13.9, p=0.004), while clinical findings were more frequent in Group One (children had a higher risk of heart murmur (O.R. 3.85 C.I. 1.08–13.72; p=0.029)). RHD prevalence was 1.34 per cent in children. Those positive to oropharyngeal swab had a higher risk of RHD (OR 14.5, CI 3.04–69.44, p=0.0024); children with history of fever and sore-throat had a higher risk of positive oropharyngeal swab (OR 15.97, CI 3.14– 81.19, p=0.002). RHD prevalence was 3.3 per cent in adults. None of those had history of fever and throat-pain, positive ASO titre and cardiac murmur simultaneously. Conclusion This is the first study describing prevalence of RHD in Madagascar. Our results, although preliminary, are important to enhance prevention programs in this country.