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Gastro gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children shrinkingThe world's largest study of gastroenteritis trends in children has shown the disparity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal health may be improving.
Research
Comparison of a rapid antigen test with nucleic acid testing during cocirculation of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 09 and Seasonal influena A/H3N2The rapid diagnosis of influenza is critical in optimizing clinical management. Rapid antigen tests have decreased sensitivity in detecting pandemic influenza.
Research
Human Papillomavirus vaccination for the prevention of cervical neoplasia: is it appropriate to vaccinate women older than 26?Cervical cancer mortality has been reduced in Australia because of effective screening programs, but there are still about 800 new cases...
The Infectious Disease Implementation Research Team is a multi-disciplinary group researching the best way to implement infectious disease prevention and treatment strategies to improve the wellbeing of children and teenagers.
Research
Space–time clustering characteristics of malaria in bhutan at the end stages of eliminationMalaria in Bhutan has fallen significantly over the last decade. As Bhutan attempts to eliminate malaria in 2022, this study aimed to characterize the space-time clustering of malaria from 2010 to 2019. Malaria data were obtained from the Bhutan Vector-Borne Disease Control Program data repository.
Research
Revisiting the inoculum effect for Streptococcus pyogenes with a hollow fibre infection modelSevere, invasive Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) infections result in greater than 500,000 deaths annually. First line treatment for such infections is benzylpenicillin, often with the addition of clindamycin, but treatment failure can occur with this regimen. This failure has been partially attributed to the inoculum effect, which presents as reduced antibiotic susceptibility during high bacterial density and plateau-phase growth.
Research
Prospective surveillance of primary healthcare presentations for scabies and bacterial skin infections in Fiji, 2018-2019Scabies, impetigo, and other skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are highly prevalent in many tropical, low-middle income settings, but information regarding their burden of disease is scarce. We conducted surveillance of presentations of scabies and SSTIs, including impetigo, abscesses, cellulitis, and se≈vere SSTI, to primary health facilities in Fiji.
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.
Research
The Role of Subinhibitory Concentrations of Daptomycin and Tigecycline in Modulating Virulence in Staphylococcus aureusStaphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections are notoriously complicated by the ability of the organism to grow in biofilms and are difficult to eradicate with antimicrobial therapy.
Research
Evaluating COVID-19-Related Disruptions to Effective Malaria Case Management in 2020–2021 and Its Potential Effects on Malaria Burden in Sub-Saharan AfricaThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to far-reaching disruptions to health systems, including preventative and curative services for malaria. The aim of this study was to estimate the magnitude of disruptions in malaria case management in sub-Saharan Africa and their impact on malaria burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used survey data collected by the World Health Organization, in which individual country stakeholders reported on the extent of disruptions to malaria diagnosis and treatment.