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The evidence that rheumatic heart disease control programs in Australia are making an impactRheumatic heart disease (RHD) comprises heart-valve damage caused by acute rheumatic fever (ARF). The Australian Government Rheumatic Fever Strategy funds RHD Control Programs to support detection and management of ARF and RHD. We assessed epidemiological changes during the years of RHD Control Program operation.
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Modalities of group A streptococcal prevention and treatment and their economic justificationInfection by group A Streptococcus (Strep A) results in a diverse range of clinical conditions, including pharyngitis, impetigo, cellulitis, necrotising fasciitis, and rheumatic heart disease. In this article, we outline the recommended strategies for Strep A treatment and prevention and review the literature for economic evaluations of competing treatment and prevention strategies.
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Evaluation of a Community-Led Program for Primordial and Primary Prevention of Rheumatic Fever in Remote Northern AustraliaEnvironmental factors including household crowding and inadequate washing facilities underpin recurrent streptococcal infections in childhood that cause acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and subsequent rheumatic heart disease (RHD).
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Roadmap to incorporating group A Streptococcus molecular point-of-care testing for remote Australia: a key activity to eliminate rheumatic heart diseaseJonathan Asha Dylan Rosemary Janessa Jeffrey Carapetis AM Bowen Barth Wyber Pickering Cannon AM MBBS FRACP FAFPHM PhD FAHMS BA MBBS DCH FRACP PhD
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Penicillin G concentrations required for prophylaxis against Group A Streptococcus infection evaluated using a hollow fibre model and mathematical modellingAcute rheumatic fever (ARF), an autoimmune reaction to Group A Streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes; Strep A) infection, can cause rheumatic heart disease (RHD). New formulations of long-acting penicillins are being developed for secondary prophylaxis of ARF and RHD.
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The second rheumatic heart disease forum reportBuilding on the foundation of the first RHD forum, over 150 interested participants met to discuss critical issues on the RHD landscape.
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Utility of auscultatory screening for detecting rheumatic heart disease in high-risk children in Australia's Northern TerritorySensitivity and positive predictive value of cardiac auscultation compared with echocardiography is poor, regardless of the expertise of the auscultator.
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Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease: Incidence and progression in the Northern Territory of Australia 1997 to 2010The reduction in ARF recurrence indicates that the RHD control program has improved secondary prophylaxis; a decline in RHD incidence is expected to follow.
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Group A streptococcal vaccines: Paving a path for accelerated developmentVaccine prevention of GAS infections and their immunological complications has been a goal of researchers for decades.
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Progress toward a global Group A streptococcal vaccineThe desire for an effective vaccine arises from the large burden of disease caused by the bacterium, particularly rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.