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Research

Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease: Incidence and progression in the Northern Territory of Australia 1997 to 2010

The reduction in ARF recurrence indicates that the RHD control program has improved secondary prophylaxis; a decline in RHD incidence is expected to follow.

Research

Group A streptococcal vaccines: Paving a path for accelerated development

Vaccine prevention of GAS infections and their immunological complications has been a goal of researchers for decades.

Research

Progress toward a global Group A streptococcal vaccine

The desire for an effective vaccine arises from the large burden of disease caused by the bacterium, particularly rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.

Research

The Australian guideline for prevention, diagnosis and management of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (2nd edition)

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) occur at very high rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Research

Group A Streptococcal Diseases and Their Global Burden

We review GAS transmission characteristics and prevention strategies, historical and geographical trends and report on the estimated global burden disease...

Research

A national prospective surveillance study of acute rheumatic fever in Australian children

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is an important cause of heart disease in Indigenous people of northern and central Australia.

Research

Primary prevention of acute rheumatic fever

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is an abnormal immune reaction following Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) infection of the throat, and likely the skin. Primary prevention is the prompt and appropriate antibiotic treatment of Strep A infection, and it can reduce the risk of developing ARF and subsequent rheumatic heart disease.

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Clinical Evaluation and Diagnosis of Acute Rheumatic Fever

The diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever relies on a combination of clinical evaluation and laboratory studies. Diagnosis is usually made using the Jones criteria, which have recently been updated in 2015.

Research

Ending rheumatic heart disease in Australia: the evidence for a new approach

The RHD Endgame Strategy: the blueprint to eliminate rheumatic heart disease in Australia by 2031 (the Endgame Strategy) is the blueprint to eliminate rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in Australia by 2031. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live with one of the highest per capita burdens of RHD in the world.

Research

Subcutaneous administration of benzathine benzylpenicillin G has favourable pharmacokinetic characteristics for the prevention of rheumatic heart disease compared with intramuscular injection

Benzathine penicillin G has been used as monthly deep intramuscular (IM) injections since the 1950s for secondary prevention of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Injection frequency and pain are major programmatic barriers for adherence, prompting calls for development of better long-acting penicillin preparations to prevent RHD.