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A pilot study to develop assessment tools for Group A Streptococcus surveillance studiesGroup A Streptococcus (GAS) causes pharyngitis (sore throat) and impetigo (skin sores) GAS pharyngitis triggers rheumatic fever (RF) with epidemiological evidence supporting that GAS impetigo may also trigger RF in Australian Aboriginal children. Understanding the concurrent burden of these superficial GAS infections is critical to RF prevention. This pilot study aimed to trial tools for concurrent surveillance of sore throats and skins sore for contemporary studies of RF pathogenesis including development of a sore throat checklist for Aboriginal families and pharynx photography.
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"Hurts less, lasts longer"; a qualitative study on experiences of young people receiving high-dose subcutaneous injections of benzathine penicillin G to prevent rheumatic heart disease in New ZealandFour-weekly intramuscular benzathine penicillin G injections to prevent acute rheumatic fever progression have remained unchanged since 1955. A Phase-I trial in healthy volunteers demonstrated the safety and tolerability of high-dose subcutaneous infusions of BPG which resulted in a much longer effective penicillin exposure, and fewer injections. Here we describe the experiences of young people living with ARF participating in a Phase-II trial of SubCutaneous Injections of BPG.
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Patient preferences for prophylactic regimens requiring regular injections in children and adolescents: A systematic review and thematic analysisAt present, limited literature exists exploring patient preferences for prophylactic treatment of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. Given low treatment completion rates to this treatment in Australia, where the burden of disease predominantly affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, an improved understanding of factors driving patient preference is required to improve outcomes.
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The mark of success: The role of vaccine-induced skin scar formation for BCG and smallpox vaccine-associated clinical benefitsSkin scar formation following Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) or smallpox (Vaccinia) vaccination is an established marker of successful vaccination and 'vaccine take'. Potent pathogen-specific (tuberculosis; smallpox) and pathogen-agnostic (protection from diseases unrelated to the intentionally targeted pathogen) effects of BCG and smallpox vaccines hold significant translational potential.
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Getting to grips with invasive group A streptococcal infection surveillance in Australia: are we experiencing an epidemic?Asha Rosemary Bowen Wyber AC R BA MBBS DCH FRACP PhD GAICD OAM MBChB MPH FRACGP PhD Head, Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Senior Research Fellow Head
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Microevolution and Its Impact on Hypervirulence, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Vaccine Escape in Neisseria meningitidisNeisseria meningitidis is commensal of the human pharynx and occasionally invades the host, causing the life-threatening illness invasive meningococcal disease. The meningococcus is a highly diverse and adaptable organism thanks to natural competence, a propensity for recombination, and a highly repetitive genome.
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Molecular analysis of human tick-bitten skin yields signatures associated with distinct spatial and temporal trajectories - A proof-of-concept studyTick-associated diseases present challenges due to tridirectional interactions among host-specific responses, tick toxins and salivary proteins as well as microbes. We aimed to uncover molecular mechanisms in tick-bitten skin samples and contralateral skin samples collected simultaneously from the same participants, using spatial transcriptomics.
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Searching for Strep A in the clinical environment during a human challenge trial: a sub-study protocolStreptococcus pyogenes (also known as group A Streptococcus , Strep A) is an obligate human pathogen with significant global morbidity and mortality. Transmission is believed to occur primarily between individuals via respiratory droplets, but knowledge about other potential sources of transmission via aerosols or the environment is limited. Such knowledge is required to design optimal interventions to control transmission, particularly in endemic settings.
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Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination to prevent febrile and respiratory illness in adults (BRACE): secondary outcomes of a randomised controlled phase 3 trialBacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination has off-target (non-specific) effects that are associated with protection against unrelated infections and decreased all-cause mortality in infants. We aimed to determine whether BCG vaccination prevents febrile and respiratory infections in adults.
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Validation and Application of a Dried Blood Spot Amoxicillin AssayDried blood spot (DBS) antibiotic assays can facilitate pharmacokinetic (PK) investigations in situations where venous blood sampling is logistically and/or ethically challenging. The aim of this study was to establish, validate and demonstrate the application of a DBS amoxicillin assay for PK studies in vulnerable populations.