That began to change in more recent decades, with studies showing about 0.8 to 1.5 million cases a year being reported worldwide between the years 1970 to 2007, per the Cureus article. Some theories for the reasons behind this uptick include increases in antibiotic resistance and changes in prescription patterns due to the awareness of this growing problem.

Persistent feverChillsPain, tenderness, and swelling in the throat and neck

Risk Factors

Being immunocompromisedEnvironmental conditions

Prognosis of Lemierre’s Syndrome

Medication Options

Pneumonia, lung lesions, abscesses, and pleural effusions (water around the lung)EmpyemaEpidural abscess (an abscess between your skull and your brain)Brain abscess

Respiratory distress syndrome due to pulmonary emboli (blood clots in the lung)Damage to other affected organsSeptic shock (in about 7 percent of cases)Bone infectionMeningitis

Soft tissue abscessesPyomyositis (bacterial infection of the skeletal muscle)Abscesses in the spleen and liverEndocarditis (inflammation of the heart’s inner lining)Pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart)Renal abscess (kidney abscess)In rare cases, eye complications

Funded by the National Institutes of Health, this site lays out the key facts about Lemierre’s syndrome and other rare diseases, from causes to diagnosis to treatments. StatPearls This source from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) offers information about how Lemierre’s syndrome can affect the body and why early diagnosis is important.