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Haemophilus influenzae remains the predominant otitis media pathogen in Australian children undergoing ventilation tube insertion in the PCV13 era

Understanding patterns of bacterial carriage and otitis media (OM) microbiology is crucial for assessing vaccine impact and informing policy. The microbiology of OM can vary with geography, time, and interventions like pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). We evaluated the microbiology of nasopharyngeal and middle ear effusions in children living in Western Australia, 11 years following the introduction of PCV13.

Dornase alfa as an adjunct therapy to treat chronic ear infections

Chris Glenn Lea-Ann Peter Ruth Brennan-Jones Pearson Kirkham Richmond Thornton PhD BA (Education) PhD Candidate PhD MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP PhD Head, Ear

Evaluation of a bacterial therapy for prevention of respiratory infection including influenza and otitis media

Deborah Lea-Ann Peter Ruth Strickland Kirkham Richmond Thornton PhD PhD MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP PhD Head, Pregnancy and Early Life Immunology Co-Head,

Microbiological and immunological factors predicting surgical outcomes for chronic otitis media

Lea-Ann Peter Ruth Kirkham Richmond Thornton PhD MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP PhD Co-Head, Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group; Microbiology Lead,

Evaluating the impact of the ‘Blow, Breathe, Cough’ health promotion intervention in resolving otitis media with effusion in children: An adaptive randomized-controlled trial protocol

Otitis media with effusion (OME) affects hearing, speech development, and quality of life (QoL) in children. The 'Blow, Breathe, Cough' (BBC) intervention promotes nasal, respiratory, and middle ear clearance through nose blowing, deep breathing, coughing, and hand hygiene. It shows promise in resolving OME but lacks randomized-controlled trial (RCT) evaluation. This paper presents a RCT protocol evaluating BBC's effect on OME resolution, hearing, speech, and QoL in children aged two to seven years.

Minimising antibiotic use through prevention of childhood ear infections

Otitis media (OM), or middle ear infection, is one of the most common childhood illnesses globally. In Australia, OM remains a leading cause of antibiotic prescriptions in children, despite growing awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the need for stewardship. Preventing OM not only reduces the burden of disease but also plays a critical role in curbing unnecessary antibiotic use and slowing the rise of AMR.

Optimising a 6-plex tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis fluorescent bead-based immunoassay

Small volume assays are required for large-scale research studies and in particular paediatric trials, where multiple measures are required from a single sample. Fluorescent bead-based technology (Bioplex/Luminex) allows high through-put and simultaneous quantification of multiple analytes in a single test. This technology uses sets of microspheres, each with a unique spectral address that can be coated with a different antigen of interest.

Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Given in the Week After Birth Does Not Impair Antibody Responses to Later Childhood Doses

A birth acellular pertussis vaccine may be a valuable alternative for immunity against infant pertussis when a pregnancy pertussis vaccine has not been administered. We assessed whether a birth dose may impair immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to childhood pertussis boosters.

A systems biology approach to determining the risk for development of otitis media

Peter Ruth Elke Richmond Thornton Seppanen MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP PhD BSc PhD Head, Vaccine Trials Group Co-head, Bacterial Respiratory Infectious

Pathogens on the rise: is impaired immunity the cause of chronic ear and chest infections?

Ruth Elke Peter Thornton Seppanen Richmond PhD BSc PhD MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP Co-head, Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group (BRIDG) Program