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Latest news & events at the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines & Infectious Diseases.
Invasive group A streptococcal infection in Australian children is frequently severe and has a high long-term morbidity burden
Children spend almost one-third of their waking hours at school. Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) is a common childhood bacterial infection that can progress to causing serious disease. We aimed to detect Strep A in classrooms by using environmental settle plates and swabbing of high-touch surfaces in two remote schools in the Kimberley, Western Australia.
In Perth, The Kids Research Institute Australia is spearheading global efforts to tackle this insidious bacterium and reduce its impact on kids’ health.
Improving our understanding of superficial Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) carriage and transmission necessitates robust sampling methods. Here, we compared the effect of storing swab samples in fridge (+4°C) and freezer (-20°C) conditions on the recovery of laboratory-cultured S. pyogenes.
Scabies and related bacterial skin and soft tissue infections are highly prevalent in many tropical, low- and middle-income settings. These skin conditions contribute to higher healthcare costs and burdens on healthcare systems.
Recent research has documented a wide range of health, economic, and social benefits conferred by vaccination, beyond the direct reductions in morbidity, mortality, and future healthcare costs traditionally captured in economic evaluations.
Antibiotic consumption can lead to antimicrobial resistance and microbiome imbalance. We sought to estimate global antibiotic consumption for sore throat, and the potential reduction in consumption due to effective vaccination against group A Streptococcus.
Group A streptococcal (GAS) infections can trigger an immune-mediated response resulting in acute rheumatic fever. The role of social and environmental risk factors for GAS pharyngitis and skin infections are not well understood.
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.