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News & Events
Port Hedland welcomes health experts from around AustraliaPort Hedland is hosting some of Australia’s most respected health researchers this week as they join forces with local health professionals to improve the health of people living in the tropical north of the country.

News & Events
Major grant empowers community voices to drive reduction in skin infectionsAboriginal community members throughout the Kimberley will take a lead role in driving healthy skin messages within their own communities thanks to a major funding boost to The Kids Research Institute Australia’s SToP Trial.

News & Events
National guideline to tackle record rates of skin infectionResearchers have developed the first National Healthy Skin Guideline to address record rates of skin infections in Australia’s Indigenous communities.
Research
The application of environmental health assessment strategies to detect Streptococcus pyogenes in Kimberley school classroomsChildren spend almost one-third of their waking hours at school. Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) is a common childhood bacterial infection that can progress to causing serious disease. We aimed to detect Strep A in classrooms by using environmental settle plates and swabbing of high-touch surfaces in two remote schools in the Kimberley, Western Australia.
Research
Costs of primary healthcare presentations and hospital admissions for scabies and related skin infections in Fiji, 2018–2019Scabies and related bacterial skin and soft tissue infections are highly prevalent in many tropical, low- and middle-income settings. These skin conditions contribute to higher healthcare costs and burdens on healthcare systems.
Research
Culturally supported health promotion to See, Treat, Prevent (SToP) skin infections in Aboriginal children living in the Kimberley region of Western Australia: a qualitative analysisWhile there are many skin infections, reducing the burden of scabies and impetigo for remote living Aboriginal people, particularly children remains challenging. Aboriginal children living in remote communities have experienced the highest reported rate of impetigo in the world and are 15 times more likely to be admitted to hospital with a skin infection compared to non-Aboriginal children.
Research
The burden of atopic dermatitis and bacterial skin infections among urban-living Indigenous children and young people in high-income countries: A systematic reviewA high burden of bacterial skin infections is well documented in remote-living Indigenous children and young people in high-income countries.
Research
Body distribution of impetigo and association with host and pathogen factorsImpetigo or skin sores are estimated to affect >162 million people worldwide. Detailed descriptions of the anatomical location of skin sores are lacking.
Research
An update on the burden of group A streptococcal diseases in Australia and vaccine developmentAsha Bowen BA MBBS DCH FRACP PhD GAICD FAHMS OAM Head, Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Head, Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Areas of expertise: Skin
Research
Molecular diagnosis of scabies using a novel probe-based polymerase chain reaction assay targeting high-copy number repetitive sequences in the sarcoptes scabiei genomeThe suboptimal sensitivity and specificity of available diagnostic methods for scabies hampers clinical management, trials of new therapies and epidemiologic studies. Additionally, parasitologic diagnosis by microscopic examination of skin scrapings requires sample collection with a sharp scalpel blade, causing discomfort to patients and difficulty in children. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic assays, combined with non-invasive sampling methods, represent an attractive approach.