question: my father has been going down hill health wise for the last 6 mths maybe even the last year . we took him to the hospital this last time and with in 24 hours they said he had a streap in his bloodstream and it has caused heart valve damage . what I want to know is this an infection that he had for a while or is this something that can happen in 24 hours . I just think it would take time for this to happen to the heart and being that he has be declining for a time now could he have before we took him to the hospital?