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Research

Research priorities for the secondary prevention and management of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease: a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute workshop report

Secondary prevention of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) involves continuous antimicrobial prophylaxis among affected individuals and is recognised as a cornerstone of public health programmes that address these conditions. However, several important scientific issues around the secondary prevention paradigm remain unresolved. 

Research

State transitions across the Strep A disease spectrum: scoping review and evidence gaps

The spectrum of diseases caused by Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) ranges from superficial to serious life-threatening invasive infections. We conducted a scoping review of published articles between 1980 and 2021 to synthesize evidence of state transitions across the Strep A disease spectrum. We identified 175 articles reporting 262 distinct observations of Strep A disease state transitions.

Research

Trends in penicillin dispensing during an acute rheumatic fever prevention programme

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF), a serious inflammatory condition, often leads to rheumatic heart disease. Between 2011 and 2016, Aotearoa New Zealand implemented a rheumatic fever prevention programme to reduce high rates of ARF through improved community access to timely diagnosis and early treatment of group A streptococcal pharyngitis, which has been shown to prevent subsequent ARF.

Research

Starting the SToP trial: Lessons from a collaborative recruitment approach

Recruitment in research can be challenging in Australian Aboriginal contexts. We aimed to evaluate the SToP (See, Treat, Prevent skin infections) trial recruitment approach for Aboriginal families to identify barriers and facilitators and understand the utility of the visual resource used.

Research

A Systematic Framework for Prioritizing Burden of Disease Data Required for Vaccine Development and Implementation: The Case for Group A Streptococcal Diseases

Vaccine development and implementation decisions need to be guided by accurate and robust burden of disease data. We developed an innovative systematic framework outlining the properties of such data that are needed to advance vaccine development and evaluation, and prioritize research and surveillance activities.

Research

Whole genome sequencing and molecular epidemiology of paediatric Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia

The role Staphylococcus aureus antimicrobial resistance genes and toxins play in disease severity, management and outcome in childhood is an emerging field requiring further exploration.

Research

The global burden of sore throat and group A Streptococcus pharyngitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Contemporary data for the global burden of sore throat and group A Streptococcus (Strep A) pharyngitis are required to understand the frequency of disease and develop value propositions for Strep A vaccines.

Research

Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases and Risk Factors, 1990-2019: Update From the GBD 2019 Study

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), principally ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke, are the leading cause of global mortality and a major contributor to disability. This paper reviews the magnitude of total CVD burden, including 13 underlying causes of cardiovascular death and 9 related risk factors, using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019. GBD, an ongoing multinational collaboration to provide comparable and consistent estimates of population health over time, used all available population-level data sources on incidence, prevalence, case fatality, mortality, and health risks to produce estimates for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019.

Research

Active Case Finding for Rheumatic Fever in an Endemic Country

Asha Jonathan Bowen Carapetis AM BA MBBS DCH FRACP PhD GAICD FAHMS OAM AM MBBS FRACP FAFPHM PhD FAHMS Head, Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Executive

Research

Single Parasternal-Long-Axis-View-Sweep Screening Echocardiographic Protocol to Detect Rheumatic Heart Disease: A Prospective Study of Diagnostic Accuracy

Echocardiographic screening in school-aged children can detect rheumatic heart disease (RHD) prior to the manifestation of symptoms of heart failure.