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Rheumatic Heart Disease Control Programs, Registers, and Access to CareThis chapter outlines the evidence and evolution of RHD control programs and draws conclusions about priorities following the 2018 World Health Organization Global Resolution on rheumatic fever and RHD.
Research
Lack of effectiveness of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination against pneumococcal carriage density in Papua New Guinean infantsPapua New Guinea (PNG) introduced the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in 2014, with administration at 1, 2, and 3 months of age. PCV13 has reduced or eliminated carriage of vaccine types in populations with low pneumococcal carriage prevalence, carriage density and serotype diversity.
Research
Formative evaluation of a community-based approach to reduce the incidence of Strep A infections and acute rheumatic feverWe explore the acceptability of a novel, outreached-based approach to improve primary and primordial prevention of Strep A skin sores, sore throats and acute rheumatic fever in remote Aboriginal communities. A comprehensive prevention program delivered by trained Aboriginal Community Workers was evaluated using approximately fortnightly household surveys about health and housing and clinical records.
Research
Evaluating the role of asymptomatic throat carriage of Streptococcus pyogenes in impetigo transmission in remote Aboriginal communities in Northern Territory, Australia: a retrospective genomic analysisStreptococcus pyogenes, or group A Streptococcus (GAS), infections contribute to a high burden of disease in Aboriginal Australians, causing skin infections and immune sequelae such as rheumatic heart disease. Controlling skin infections in these populations has proven difficult, with transmission dynamics being poorly understood. We aimed to identify the relative contributions of impetigo and asymptomatic throat carriage to GAS transmission.
News & Events
Preventing RHD through community-driven activitiesHealth activities driven by remote Indigenous communities may be key to the sustainable and successful treatment and prevention of a potentially fatal disease, a study has found.
News & Events
Annual CRE Investigators' Meeting draws researchers from around the worldBetween 3rd - 5th May 2018, researchers from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States (representing their Uganda collaboration) convened in Fremantle, Western Australia to attend the Strep A Spectrum Meetings: from Science to Strategy.
News & Events
Margie's story: Parent to a child with ARFWhen Liana complained of a sore foot and showed signs of a fever, her mum Margie rushed her to hospital. An X-ray of her foot revealed no obvious injury, so she was sent home and advised to take painkillers.
Research
A pilot study to develop assessment tools for Group A Streptococcus surveillance studiesGroup A Streptococcus (GAS) causes pharyngitis (sore throat) and impetigo (skin sores) GAS pharyngitis triggers rheumatic fever (RF) with epidemiological evidence supporting that GAS impetigo may also trigger RF in Australian Aboriginal children. Understanding the concurrent burden of these superficial GAS infections is critical to RF prevention. This pilot study aimed to trial tools for concurrent surveillance of sore throats and skins sore for contemporary studies of RF pathogenesis including development of a sore throat checklist for Aboriginal families and pharynx photography.
The END RHD CRE is producing a costed, step-wise strategy to end rheumatic heart disease (RHD) as public health priority in Australia.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have some of the highest rates of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in the world. This report outlines