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“We've wanted to vaccinate against it and now we can”: views of respiratory syncytial virus disease and immunisation held by caregivers of Aboriginal children in Perth, Western Australia

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory infection with a higher burden in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants and children. We conducted a pilot qualitative study identifying disease knowledge and willingness to immunise following the changing immunisation landscape for infant RSV in 2024.

Clinical outcomes and severity of laboratory-confirmed RSV compared with influenza, parainfluenza and human metapneumovirus in Australian children attending secondary care

Acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) are a major contributor to the global infectious disease burden and a common cause of hospitalisation for children under 2 years. We compared clinical severity in children hospitalised with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza virus (PIV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and influenza virus (IFV).

Improving the detection of congenital syphilis: reviewing test utility and adherence to recommendations

Western Australia (WA) has experienced a resurgence of congenital syphilis. Appropriate microbiology testing of the neonate is recommended to confirm infection, including syphilis immunoglobulin M (IgM), rapid plasma reagin (RPR) paired with a maternal sample, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on placenta and nasal swabs.

Modelling respiratory syncytial virus age-specific risk of hospitalisation in term and preterm infants

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of acute lower respiratory infections in children worldwide. The highest incidence of severe disease is in the first 6 months of life, with infants born preterm at greatest risk for severe RSV infections.

From speculative to real: Community attitudes towards government COVID-19 vaccine mandates in Western Australia from May 2021 to April 2022

Many governments employed mandates for COVID-19 vaccines, imposing consequences upon unvaccinated people. Attitudes towards these policies have generally been positive, but little is known about how discourses around them changed as the characteristics of the disease and the vaccinations evolved.

Head-to-Head Comparison Between Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Human Metapneumovirus Bronchiolitis in the Setting of Increased Viral Testing

We compared the epidemiology, severity and management of hospitalized respiratory syncytial virus (n = 305) and human metapneumovirus (n = 39) bronchiolitis in a setting with high respiratory virus testing (95% of admissions tested). Respiratory syncytial virus-positive infants were younger and tended to require more hydration support and longer hospital stays compared to human metapneumovirus-positive infants. Respiratory support requirements were similar between groups despite significant age differences.

Protocol for spatial prediction of soil transmitted helminth prevalence in the Western Pacific region using a meta-analytical approach

Soil transmitted helminth infections are estimated to impact 24% of the world's population and are responsible for chronic and debilitating morbidity. Disadvantaged communities are among the worst affected and are further marginalized as infection prevalence fuels the poverty cycle.

The collaboration on social science and immunisation (COSSI): Global lessons from a successful Australian research and practice network

Samantha Carlson BSc MPH PhD Senior Research Officer Samantha.carlson@thekids.org.au Senior Research Officer @samicarlson ORCID Dr Carlson is an

Risk factors for diagnosis and treatment delay among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Hunan Province, China

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a global health threat associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Diagnosis and treatment delays are associated with poor treatment outcomes in patients with MDR-TB. However, the risk factors associated with these delays are not robustly investigated, particularly in high TB burden countries such as China.

Development of a pharmaceutical science systematic review process using a semi-automated machine learning tool: Intravenous drug compatibility in the neonatal intensive care setting

Our objective was to establish and test a machine learning-based screening process that would be applicable to systematic reviews in pharmaceutical sciences. We used the SPIDER (Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, Research type) model, a broad search strategy, and a machine learning tool (Research Screener) to identify relevant references related to y-site compatibility of 95 intravenous drugs used in neonatal intensive care settings.